The Adventures of a Certain Breaker
by LuenNightBlade
Summary: In a world of Science, I have been betrayed time and time again. Now, years later, I have pulled my life together. Together with my friends, I lead a normal life as Luke Walker. But, too soon, my past will be back to haunt me.
1. Visit to the Hospital

The day at summer school had been the typical boring stuff as normal. I had sat in my desk, ignoring all those around me. I adjusted my glasses slightly, as Komoe-sensei spoke.

"Alright everyone! Touma Kamijou is in the hospital and since I want to see how he's doing, we're going on a class field trip!"

Everyone cheered; whether it was due to concern for Kamijou-kun or just wanting to escape school was beyond me. Since nobody else was asking a fundamental question, I sighed and raised my hand.

Komoe-sensei noticed, and said,"Yes, Luke?"

"What's wrong with him?"

Komoe-sensei said,"They wouldn't tell me details because I'm not family, but it seems he has lost his memory."

Now the class was in an uproar. I sat in my chair, shocked. Touma was my best friend. At first, it was because he was a handicap for my power, but soon we became close friends. He had been missing the last couple of days, which didn't surprise me. His lot in life had always been misfortune. But, he was my close ally in most things. He was the main reason I had hidden my abilities as an esper. If the others knew about my abilities, I'd be on a one-way ticket to the Scientists labs again and would probably never see my friends or this school again. The tiny teacher slammed her attendance book on her desk.

"I know this may be difficult for all of you, but please, let's go to the hospital and see for ourselves first."

Everyone hastily clambered to their feet and headed for the door in mass. I stood up slowly and paced up to the front. There I was met by Tsuchimikado and the blue-haired pervert Touma called friend. I'm not a names person, unless I like the person in question. I turned back and noticed my dear dorm mate, Ray. She and I had shared an apartment for a while now; whether or not she considered me a friend was unknown. I considered her my sister, closer than friends. The only reason we put up with one another is cause we're both level 5's. Someone was always willing to battle us, because they thought I was a lucky bastard with a cute girlfriend. So, being together, as two level 5 espers, was a good contermeasure against attacks. And, hey, I got a cute girl in the deal! She noticed me with my two comrades, but tried to ignore us. So, I spoke.

"Ray, what do you think it is? Do you think it really is memory loss?"

Tsuchikimado, being the dense bastard he is, asked, "Who are you talking to, dude?"

Blue Hair-kun, being the perverted broad he has always been, declared, "I think he's talking to that chick over there. I didn't even know that she was in our class. If I did, I would have asked her long ago if I could dress her up!" Adding pain to insult, he pointed at Ray with his hand. I pushed his hand down and waited for Ray to answer my question. She sighed and replied. "I think that the information is correct. Why would the hospital lie?"

Blue-Hair cut in. "Or that's what they want you to think. Creepy!"

I started to reprimand Blue-Hair, but Tsuchikimado beat me to it.

"Shut up dude. Um, girl... I mean Ray, hurry up or we won't be let into that room."

I turned to walk away and felt Ray's death glare fall upon my back. There would be hell to pay later for disrupting her peace and solitude by introducing these two into her life. I glanced over my shoulder and saw Blue-Hair grab Ray's arm. Big mistake. My hand flew to my glasses, preparing to yank them off. Blue-Hair gasped and released Ray's arm. "Ow!" was the only sound he made. Good...she had barbecued people for less than that before. I still glared at her for burning one of Touma's friends. She suddenly ran past us, so I released my hold on my glasses. She turned in the doorway and said,"Who are being the slowpokes now?"

-

Our class made it to the hospital in a crowd. I strayed near the back, not desiring to be in the thick of it when the group made it to Touma's room. I bought a drink at one of the vending machines in the hallway. I turned towards the group I was with and ran into a Nun. We both fell, and I lost my glasses. The world seemed to freeze, as I crashed onto the ground. The girl hung in midair, along with my glasses and drink. I pulled her into my arms so she wouldn't fall to the ground, tucked my drink under one arm, and put my glasses back on. Reality returned, and the girl fell into my arms heavily. I set her back on her feet, and handed her my drink. "Be more careful, Sister!" She took the drink happily and headed for the bench to drink it. Seems I had done a great deed. I turned back towards Touma's room and saw a string of disappointed students led by a short teacher make their way down the hall. I ran into the room where Blue-Hair, Ray, and Tsuchikimado were along with Touma. I was in time to hear him sigh.

"What misfortune..." Touma muttered. I noticed the pile of schoolwork, and asked,"When are they going to let you out of this place?"

Touma groaned and said, "Sometime tomorrow." The look he was giving me was odd. Almost like he didn't recognize me.

I laughed and said,"That sucks! That means you can't finish summer school. I'll come by later tonight and help you with your homework."

Call it petty if you will, but I was doing my best to delay going home with Ray. She seemed to notice, giving me another glare from behind. More chills ran down my back.

Touma smiled and said, "Thanks for stopping by you four. I'll see if we can hang around sometime when I'm out of here."

I froze along with the other two guys. Touma had uknowingly stepped on a major landmine. I rarely hung out with Ray, and definitely not with these two.

Ray spoke first, stuttering. "I...I'm afraid that's not-"

I cut her off, declaring with a grin. "Sure! Just give us a call and we'll be there in a heartbeat. See ya!" I ushered the other three into the hallway, avoiding contact with Ray. I turned towards the two guys and we began talking.

Blue-Hair went first. "Why was he acting like your roommate was part of our group?"

I said,"It seems fishy." I wanted violently to deny it, but it seemed like Touma Kamijou had in fact lost his memory.

Tsuchikado spoke next. "Why would he do that?"

Ray turned away, muttering,"Beats me, I'm not his friend."

She began heading towards the elevators on the opposite side of the hospital from where our class had headed. I shouted at her, and she stopped.

"Ray! As of today, you are his friend. If what you're guessing is true, then he now believes you are his friend. So, I guess we'll be seeing a lot more of you around." Blue-Hair had to open his mouth then. "Touma is so lucky! He gets all the girls. Not only does he have the cute nun chick living with him and is all buddy buddy with Miss Komoe, now he gets Ray too? Some guys have all the luck." I saw Ray stiffen, and felt that chill run down my back again. I sighed, then whirled and punched Blue-Hair. "Idiot!" I sighed as he collapsed on the ground. I reached into my pocket and pulled out a letter. It was a challenge from some delinquents, threatening to kidnap Ray if I didn't fight them for rights to date her. They were wrong on two accounts; I wasn't dating Ray, and it would take a miracle and a Level 5 to even coerce her into a room...let alone kidnap her. Normally, I let things like this challenge slide. But, today I was angry at the world for Touma's loss. He was unfortunate, but even that had it's limit. I smashed the letter in my fist and began walking towards towards the stairs. Tsuchikimado looked at me and asked,"Where are you going, Luke?" I smiled deviously as I reached the stairs. I turned and said,"I'm going to take out some trash." Tsuchikimado looked at me skeptically, as I headed down the stairs.


	2. Taking Out the Trash

I entered the street in front of my apartment and looked around. There were around 20 delinquents scattered around, armed with various weapons. I sighed and flipped them off. I then turned and began walking towards the alley. All of them followed me, hefting their weapons or cracking their knuckles. I turned around when I came level with the dumpsters midway through the alley. I waited for the last one to enter and said,"Who's aiming for Ray?" One guy, holding a baseball bat with nails studded in it, raised his hand defiantly. I touched my glasses. "Oh-" I vanished from their sight and landed in front of the guy, still touching my glasses. "-really?" He suddenly doubled over, clutching his stomach. I turned as two guys ran towards me. Both had their noses broken twelve strides away. Another drew a throwing knife and threw it at me. It passed through me and struck the guy behind me. He fell as ten guys charged me all at once. They probably planned to overcome me with sheer numbers. A level 3 or 4 might have lost. Not me. They all began staggering in different directions. In my hand, I now held the bat dropped by the first guy. No one had seen me move to pick it up. I just 'had' it. A sudden boom startled me, as one of the delinquents pulled out a pistol and shot at me. I narrowed my eyes in anticipation. This was unforeseen. But nothing my 'Breaker' ability couldn't handle...

If I could sum up my ability in one sentence; it would be 'the ability to stop reality'. Ray believed I had a handle on my skill, but that was a lie. The only reason I could control it was due to the glasses I was always wearing. They suppressed my ability, keeping me in reality. Whenever I removed my glasses, my reality shifted. I entered a world where a second takes forever. I could watch a drop of water fall through the air, a bullet slice through the air, even track a lightning bolt arcing towards it's target. The biggest problem with this ability was my own mind. It could barely last more than 5 minutes in real time before it would snap. The last time I tested it, my mind had convinced me I had gone through a 50 year lapse in those 5 minutes. My body could move through that time continuom without damage, which had astounded scientists. They had lost interest once I gained my glasses and the ability to suppress my abilities entirely. It even fooled the Tree Diagram. I couldn't stop a bullet or cancel lightning with my ability; I could redirect them, but they would still have the same effects as in real-time if they struck me. If any inanimate object struck me in my reality, it would gain the same ability as me until it left my skin. It didn't apply to things that touched my shoes, though. There's a simple summary of my 'Breaker' ability.

I yanked off my glasses as three more bangs sounded. Everything paused in midair, moving so slow it wasn't worth noting. Only three things were moving at a decent pace, and those were lethal projectiles aimed at me. I raised my bat, and stopped the nearest bullet. It struck my bat, causing it to shudder in my grasp. I spun and caught the next bullet in the wooden bat. The final bullet I caught in a discarded shoe by the dumpster. Why did I stop those bullets? Because bullets make messes when they strike people, and I didn't want to have to explain to Judgement why a bunch of delinquents got injured in a fight with me. I smashed the bat into the guy's gun and it left his hands and froze in air, slowly moving like the delinquents. I sighed, pulling my glasses out of my pocket. I slipped them on, and the gun crashed into the wall as the guy staggered back clutching his hands. I turned towards the last few delinquents and set the bat on my shoulder.

"Take your friends and get out of my sight before I decide to finish you few as well."

They grabbed their friends and ran out, cursing me as they went. I took a deep breath and sighed. Hospital visiting times would be over within the next 30 minutes. Though I hated doing this, I had made a promise to that unfortunate fool. I pulled off my glasses and began running.

I made it to the hospital in less than a minute, but it had been an hour sprint in my 'time'. I put my glasses on and felt my headache start, This always happened whenever I used my ability excessively. I walked inside and started up the stairs. I entered Touma's room and saw him along with the nun from earlier. She saw me and said,"You're the guy who gave me the juice!" I smiled and said,"Ah. Yeah, that was me. What's your name?" She smiled and said,"I'm Index!" I returned her smile, then turned to Touma.

"Ready to tackle your homework?" He nodded sorrowfully, depressed by the mention of homework. We managed to complete History, Math, and part of the Japanese homework before the call came signaling all visitors to leave. I got up and started to walk out. Index waved merrily at me; I had purchased her a hospital bento along with another can of juice, and became her friend for life. Touma stopped me as I opened the door.

"What is your name?" I collapsed inside; Touma had indeed lost all his memories. I smiled and said, "I'm Luke, Touma. Luke Walker, one of your closest friends." He returned my smile and said,"I'll see you tomorrow, correct?" I nodded as I left. I didn't trust my voice at the moment. I closed the door as I left and looked up. That was when I saw him. A tall man, with red hair and strange tatoo on his face. He seemed to be headed for Touma's room, so I put out my hand before he passed. He stopped, then asked,"Why are you stopping me?"

I glared at him and said,"I don't trust foreigners. I've never seen you before and you're headed towards my friend Touma's room. If you're planning a fight, I'll stop you before you can reach him." I held my glare, taking a karate stance while raising one hand to my glasses. The red-haired man looked at me, then laughed. "Foreigner? Takes one to know one! I'm Stiyl Magnus, a friend of Touma and Index. You are?" I relaxed, but kept my hand on my glasses. "I'm Luke Walker, also a friend of Touma and Index." He looked at me strangely, then said.

"Well, a friend's friend is also a friend! I'd like to get to know you better Luke!" With that he turned and walked away. I sighed and let my hand dropped. My headache returned as I headed downstairs.

By the time I made it home, it was one. I had hoped Ray would go to sleep, but she had other plans. The main room light was still on as I made my way inside. She was standing by the hallway connecting the front door to the living room, glaring daggers at me with her arms crossed. I took off my shoes then stepped further inside. I decided to take the initiative, saying,"Please don't hate me, I didn't mean-"

She cut me off, coldly saying,"You were the one who suggested it. Don't feed me any bullshit, Luke. Or should I say 'Breaker'?" I swear, she is the only person able to turn my name into a weapon. I crossed my arms as well and said,"I'm giving you a chance to live a little, you know, live a life other than-"

She cut me off, finally breaking what little patience I had left. "This isn't going to change who I am, I'm still going to skip school and-"

I cut her off, pushing past while holding the side of my head in disgust. "You know what, I'm not dealing with this tonight, Ray. I'm going to get some sleep for summer school tomorrow. I don't care what you do during the day. I'm not getting pulled into this." I raised my hands in defeat, but sensed something strange. My hand, with reflexes forged from practice, pulled off my glasses and I stepped to the right as her beam started to cook the wall. I slipped on my glasses as the wall burned. I decided I'd truly had enough and said,"You aren't the only level 5 who lives here Ray. Stop being such a child and go to bed." I went into my room, not bothering to wait for a reply, and closed the door. I changed into pajamas and jumped into bed. I closed my eyes, trying to fall asleep. Who had that red-haired guy been? How did he know Touma? I'd ask the guy himself tomorrow. I heard Ray start talking on the phone as the bath turned on. I couldn't hear her words, but could tell by her tone something was up. Well, she wasn't normal, and neither were her friends. I decided to let it pass and went to sleep.


	3. I Hate Magicians

I woke up early the next morning. I rolled out of my bed and got dressed for morning exercises. I finished putting on my karate attire and sighed. Time for the glasses. I took them off and began training. I had become a 2nd degree Black Belt in Karate, due to my unique ability, in an unprecedented amount of time. As a result of my intense training every morning, I was probably the strongest person physically in our class. My main issue was that I was a thin person, and my muscles weren't evident. I would live, but it was slightly disappointing. I finished my my training with a hundred one-handed push ups, then pushed myself to my feet. I placed my glasses on my nose and slipped back into reality. Time to fix breakfast. I went into the kitchen and checked the clock. Only a minute and half had past since I woke up and dressed. Nice. I took way too long walking to the kitchen. I mixed a protein shake and grabbed a bagel. Good nutritional meal. I downed the food then steeled myself for my next task: waking Ray up for school. I walked over to her door and knocked. No reply. I sighed. No use stressing over this. I walked towards the door. It was visiting hours at the hospital. Only 6 in the morning; I had time to visit Touma early and be back in time to wake Ray up for school. I went outside, closing and locking the door behind me. I adjusted my glasses and grabbed my bike. On later speculation, that was probably the time the magician began tailing me.

I was riding my bike, making good time as I passed other early goers. I decided to cut through an alley to save time. That was when the magician jumped me.

I heard something smash behind me, so I glanced back. A man suddenly rushed past me, cutting my shirt. I braked, sliding to a stop, as the man turned around. He was wielding a nasty looking blade. I put my foot on my pedal, prepared to jet at the first sign of attack. He spun his knife once and said, «Cradle of the Chosen« Okay, that was weird enough for me. I turned to ride away, but slammed into an invisible wall. I jumped off my bike and turned to face the man. He looked to be a foreigner. He raised his blade and said, "I have you trapped in my [Cradle of the Chosen]. You cannot escape until I choose to release you. Now you will listen to my questions." I tried to force a smile, but nothing would come up. Whoever this weirdo was, he definitely had a strange ability. «You've met the 'Index'. Where is she?" I looked at him and said,"I don't need to tell you anything, bastard." He raised his blade and said,"That is unfortunate. I had hoped for this to be a peaceful talk." I finally smiled, as my hands touched my glasses.  
"About your 'Cradle'...If I disabled you, would it break?" He laughed and said,"Of course! You'd have to beat me first!"  
I sighed. "That's a relief..." He charged me, as I took my glasses off. He froze in midstep, face distorted in a world where time is forever. I ran forward, taking a karate stance when I reached him. I spun, striking his solar plex with my knuckles and his groin with my knee. I stepped back as he began falling back, slower than melting ice. I swept his feet out, and he began falling to the side. I smashed my fist into his side, driving him down. That was enough. I turned back and grabbed my bike. Then, I slipped my glasses on. He suddenly spun backwards into the ground, unconscious before he struck the ground. The sensation of being caged vanished, so I mounted the bicycle and rode away.

I reached the hospital and glanced at the time. Only 8. It took me an hour to reach home, so I was still in the clear for time. I parked my bike at the racks and clicked the lock in place. I began walking inside and bumped into someone leaving. "Sorry! Wait, it's you!?" Stiyl and I said the same thing, then he laughed as I backed up. Another kid bumped into me from behind, apologized, then ran off. Stiyl, now smoking, commented, "He stole your wallet. I checked my pocket; sure enough, it was gone. "Why didn't you tell me?" Stiyl smirked. "I wanted to give that guy a fighting chance." I decided then that this man and I weren't going to be great friends. "Dammit...All that was in there was my key to my bike. But now I'm stuck here..." Stiyl took out his cigarette. "If that's all you need..." He flicked his cigarette, making a sword of flames, and cut through my bicycle chain. I pointed at the sword in shock. "What the hell was that?!" Stiyl flicked the sword away and it became a cigarette butt. "Magic. Much like you saw from the Protestant fiend in that alley."  
" The guy with the blade?"  
"Yes...let me warn you; the minute you befriended Index, you placed yourself on the wanted list for magicians everywhere. You could severe all ties with the girl and that boy, Touma, if you wish to live a normal life."  
I paused and asked,"Why Touma as well?"  
"Simple; that boy already swore to that girl to protect her in the depths of hell themselves..."  
I gulped as I heard this. Touma, the guy with that miserable luck, had sworn such a thing? I smiled grimly. As a true friend, there was only one answer.  
"I will stand by Touma and Index until the bitter end. It's the least I can do, with my abilities."  
Stiyl smiled. "You are just like that idiot. Hmm...your glasses, who gave them to you?"  
I was thrown off by the sudden question. "The woman who trained me and gave me my abilities as an esper. Why?"  
He shook his head. "I haven't seen anything quite that powerful in a while. Take good care of them, Luke Walker. They could save your life one day."  
If only he knew the truth in those words. He waved and left me to absorb this new knowledge. I walked inside with a sigh. I needed to see Touma.

I walked into the hospital room and found Touma struggling to fight off an angry Index. She chomped onto his hand, causing Toma to cry out in pain. They noticed me and Index released her prey to say,"Luke!" I smiled as she ran up and hugged me. I understood why Touma wanted to protect this girl. I turned to him. "You coming to school today?" He shook his head with a weary sigh. "I couldn't finish my home-work." I glanced at the clock. We still had enough time to tackle the remainder of Japanese History.

I left the hospital along with Touma and Index at 10. We headed towards the apartment complex where all of us lived. "Hey, Touma."  
"Yeah?" "You turned me down for sharing a dorm; why'd you take Index?" He laughed easily. "Choice between guy or cute girl? Who would you choose?" I smiled as I remembered that day, long ago...

[7 Years Ago]  
"Everyone, please welcome our new student, Walker Luke."  
I had been bothered, having so many kids look at me. I looked around for an open desk, and saw four next to one extremely cute girl. It didn't strike me then that there might have been a reason for that space. I sat down next to her, as the teacher said,"He will be in our class until he can learn and develop his own esper abilities." The teacher resumed her talk, and I saw my chance. I held my hand out to the cute girl next to me. She glanced at it and stared so long I almost drew my hand back in embarrassment. She suddenly took my hand and surprised me. I smiled and said, "I'm Luke. Just call me Luke." She looked at my smile then returned it. "Ray." I guessed that was her first name, so I waited for her last. Nothing came forth, so I asked. "A last name?" Her smile vanished as she said, "Lucky I have a first." I could feel a tension in the air, so I quietly laughed then changed topics.  
"I just learned about espers. What is your ability? This all seems so cool, don't you think?" Curse my tongue, spilling all those words on this girl. After a slight pause, she said, "I guess. I'm a level one with the ability of fire. I can give first degree burns to anyone I touch." Ray turned towards the teacher, but I wasn't done talking. "That sounds so cool! I can't wait to get one myself. Fire sounds awesome." The guy in front of me turned back to face me. "You might be stuck at level 0 like me, but that's alright! Hey, where are you staying? I'm Touma, by the way. Everyone calls me that." Ah, crap. Worst timing possible. I forced a smile and said, "You see, the dorms are full and-" Touma spoke. "I would let you stay with me, but right now I just don't have the space for a roommate. Ray, don't you have a double dorm room?" I didn't like where this was headed. Ray looked surprised at Touma's words then her eyes narrowed. "Yes, how did you know?" He thought about it, then snapped his fingers. "Well, I sort of remember your last room mate-" That really caught her attention. Her eyes widened as she said, "Okay." Obviously something was up...what, U didn't know. She smiled then spoke to me. "I don't have a roommate right now and have a spare bedroom. Would you like to stay with me?" I have to be honest; that smile captured me. I nodded and smiled sincerely. We were kids then, before the world marred both of us. I left two months later and gained my ability along with my glasses. I came back and was welcomed warmly.

I smiled as I remembered this. Touma and Index parted ways with me then. We had arrived at the apartment. I glanced at my watch. 11. Good. Now it was time to tackle waking up Ray.


	4. Dinner for Four

I walked inside, then removed my shoes. It was dark inside; Ray was still asleep. Figures. I turned on a few lights, then headed over to her door. I knocked on the door, and waited. No reply. I sighed then grabbed some clothes from my room. along with my shampoo. I took a quick shower and changed into my normal clothes. I put away my karate clothes. I walked over to Ray's room. I was beyond caring now. I opened the door and walked inside. Ray was asleep in bed, so I opened the curtains. She rolled over muttering. I decided not to push my luck and walked over to the door. Then I shouted. "Come on, school starts in like thirty minutes and you're not even up yet!" She rolled over and said,"Shut up and leave me alone. I'm not coming to school."  
"But-" She repeated her trick, turning my name into a threat. "Luke."  
Anything more was futile. I turned and walked out. I grabbed my shoes, slipping then on as I went. I slammed the door behind me then headed for school.

It was a normal day at school. I kept glancing over where Ray should have been. Why hadn't she come? Blue Hair and Tsuchimikado walked over to me when class ended.  
"Is Touma out of the hospital yet?" Tsuchimikado asked as I stood up. I nodded, as Blue Hair asked,"Where's the cute girl from yesterday?" "Ray?" I asked wearily. "Yeah, her!" "She stayed home. Lets go visit our friend who just left the hospital." The two nodded and voiced their agreements. We left the school as a group when the sun began setting.

I noticed a stall selling bentos, so I stopped our group and went over to purchase one. I smiled slightly as I imagined Index's face when she saw this bento. I handed him the amount for one large bento, then turned with my parcel towards the others. Then it happened. A teen, around my age and size except thinner, smacked into my bento, spilling the contents on the ground. The white haired kid continued walking, so I grabbed for his shoulder. A sudden chill ran through my body; this guy was 'strong'! I yanked my hand back and he walked away. That guy was definitely level 5. The man selling bentos offered me another to replace the spilled one, and I graciously accepted his offer. I took the new bento and walked over to the two. "That guy was a total prick!" Blue Hair exclaimed angrily. I nodded, then said, "Lets go, shall we?"

We arrived at the apartments without any further problems. We passed my apartment on the way, but the lights were off. We walked up to Touma's door, but the other two refused to knock. So I obliged, rapping loudly on the frame. A black haired beauty opened the door, causing Blue Hair to faint outright. "Hello, this is Touma's place. Are you his friends?" The woman asked with a slight smile. Touma arrived seconds after that saying,"Kanzaki, don't answer the door! Oh, it's you guys." Index pushed past both of them, exclaiming,"Luke, did you bring me something?" I handed her the bag with the bento, and she carried it back inside. "Touma, wanna eat somewhere to celebrate leaving the hospital?" He started to accept, but glanced back at the young sister eating. Kanzaki smiled and said,"I'll watch her for you, Touma." He smiled and replied,"Thanks, Kanzaki." He came outside and closed the door behind him. "Have any place in mind?" I nodded and said,"There's a nice place I frequent downtown, no more than thirty minutes here." Touma glanced around. "Where are the other two?" "Ray is gone, and your stepping on the pervert." He hopped off of Blue Hair, who was mumbling, "Touma gets...all the girls..."

When we had gone around two blocks, a sudden flash lit the sky. Only for a split second, but it was blinding. I would've sworn it was Ray's ability, but she was at home. Blue Hair cursed his luck as he tripped down the stairs leading to the subway station. Unlucky fool.

We were joking and talking like a group of old friends, when I noticed Ray. We had gotten a couple of miles away from the dorms and seeing her was a shock. So it might have been her flash earlier... She tried to walk past, but bumped into Touma. Tsuchimikado spoke first.  
"Hey best friend chick, didn't see you at school today." Thanks for stating the obvious, idiot. I could tell Ray was on edge. Touma spoke next.  
"You didn't go to school, Ray? Why?" Ray turned her gaze on me, so I raised my hands in innocence. Not my problem. She spoke slightly flustered, which surprised me. "I wasn't feeling well. I just came out for a walk." I almost slapped myself in shame. What a pathetic lie! Touma was the first to comment. "But we're miles from the dorms..." Let sleeping dogs lie, dammit! Ray looked agitated, and her fake smile was trembling.  
"I sort of...got lost." ...no comment on that lame excuse. We were quiet, until Tsuchimikado broke the silence. "Did you see that large bright blast?" Good work, Tsuchimikado, changing the topic. Ray nodded and said," Yea, I just came from over there." She paused then, to my astonishment, asked,"So...what are you guys up to?"  
Blue Hair chose that moment to stop ogling Ray and speak. "We're treating Touma to some food to wash that hospital garbage taste out of his mouth." I watched Ray's reaction, then asked,"Want to come with us, Ray?"  
She shook her head, spouting some excuse about the dorm being messy. She turned and walked away, so we waved at her departing figure. Then we headed to the restaurant.

We parted ways after our meal, the other two heading separate ways while Touma and I took the same route. We talked some about Ray, then he dropped a bomb. "Do you like Ray?" I doubled over laughing, struggling to catch my breath. "Me...like...ha...Ray? We're like siblings, Touma!" He watched me then said. "Such an exaggerated reaction. It might cause someone to get the wrong idea." I stopped laughing, then glanced at him. "That's not funny, dude." "Hmmm...I wanna have a meal with Ray sometime, since we are friends..." I didn't have the guts to tell him he was wrong. I nodded as we reached the dorms. "When?" "Tomorrow, around this time." He headed for his room, leaving me alone. How would Ray take that news? No use worrying. I walked inside, ready to fall asleep...but first, was training. I walked inside and found Ray drying her hair. She was sitting on the kitchen counter.  
"Why are you sitting on the kitchen counter?" I had to ask.  
"Because the bathroom one was too small." Figures. I set my shoes down and walked inside. "By the way, Touma was asking a lot of questions about you, so I told him what I knew." That got her attention. She flicked off the hair dryer and looked at me with a glare. "Not about you being level 5, just little things like your favorite food and hobbies." She looked at me closely. "What is my favorite food and hobbies?"  
"As far as Touma is concerned, you love painting water colors and love eating udon."  
"You are cruel."  
"Would you prefer I told him the truth?"  
"And what would that be? That I have no preference? Whatever, sooner or later he'll figure out I'm not chummy with you guys and he'll lay off. There's a month till school starts back up, so one month without seeing me and he'll get over me." She looked away and started to go back to drying her hair. I knew my next statement wasn't going to go over well.  
"Well, you see... Touma feels bad since you weren't invited out with us today, so he wants to take you out tomorrow." The hair dryer fell out of her hands and crashed to the ground. Definitely not good.  
"Touma, a guy who I've spoke to not even ten minutes of my life, wants to take me on a date?" Her tone didn't sound happy; it sounded incredulous. Damn.  
"You're reading it all wrong, he just wants to treat you to food because he thinks he ignored you as a friend. Nothing like a date!" Talk about smith. Ray narrowed her eyes.  
"Are you saying I'm not dating material?" Plenty of replies to that, but none were safe. So I kept my mouth shut. "Whatever, just tell him to stop by here at six tomorrow." She headed for the bathroom, signaling the end of our conversation. Touma, I feel for you. Tomorrow might be hell. I went to bedroom, pausing to remove my glasses and train. I finished in an instant, then gathered my clothes and soap to take a shower. I paused by Ray's door. She was talking to someone quietly, though she seemed quite peeved. I tried to listen, but she stopped talking. They had probably hung up. I sighed then headed for the shower.


	5. Meeting Biribiri

The next morning I woke up exhausted. For some reason I had been unable to sleep. I got up, then dutifully did my morning training. It wasn't early but it was the weekend, so there was no way I was gonna wake up Ray. I sighed then headed towards the door. I would ride my bike and loop Academy City twice. Just kidding! It was a 50 mile trek; I only planned to loop it once. I paused at the door when something slipped under the door. A paper with Ray's name on it? I ran towards the door, yanking my glasses off. I slammed the door open as the deliverer vanished. A high-level teleporter?! Whatever required that much secrecy was important. Possibly important enough to wake a slumbering Ray. I looked at the paper. It was blank. Probably a trick that Ray knew how to circumvent. I picked up the letter, remembering the calls from the previous two nights. The more I thought, the more worried I became. Dammit! I walked over to her door, slipping my glasses on. Time to wake the slumbering girl.  
"Ray!" I shouted, rapping on her door. Something slammed into the door with a muffled thump.  
"I know, I know, it's ten! Chill out, okay? I still have eight hours until this date that isn't a date."  
"It's not that, it's just..." I paused, trying to figure out a way to explain our visitor and the paper. I heard some movement inside, then the door unlocked and Ray made her appearance.  
"What was so important that I had to be woken up?" I tried to reply, but she noticed the paper first. She grabbed it. "What's this?"  
"I'm not sure. The top has your name on it. It was slid under the door this morning and I just spotted it. It looks blank, though."  
She tilted the paper towards herself and removed all the light from around it. It glowed slightly; glow-in-the-dark ink. How original. She clicked her tongue, released her energy, and then crumpled the paper. She lit it on fire and tossed it in the wastebasket. Her habit of lighting papers on fire bothered me; that's why we replaced all the wastebaskets with metal containers."What was that about?" I asked.  
She glared at me and said,"No questions, Luke. I don't want to involve you." Now that was convenient. Of course I wanted to know and be involved! She was my dear companion, whom I was willing to die for. She didn't know how much she meant to me. That had to be the reason why she would say such destructive things. She closed the door in my face before I could reply. I couldn't leave it like that! I grabbed the door and opened it. "Ray, I-" A pillow struck me in the face. "I'm changing, dammit! Learn to knock before you see me naked for the second time!" I ran back into the hallway, apologizing loudly. Dammit. I leaned against the wall, trying to hide my embarrassment. My face was hot; I was obviously blushing. I could still vividly recall the last time I has seen Ray naked...that was also the reason I avoided community baths...

~6 years ago~  
I had been an overconfident fool when I told Ray I was ready to try the community baths. When we arrived at the huge bathing house, all my confidence drained away. Here I was, a foreign ten-year old trying to fit into Japanese customs. Besides, I was still learning to cope with my new powers. That was probably why I had decided to come to this strange place. I was ready to back out.  
"I changed my mind, let me go home Ray!" Had been my plea.  
Ray, who was still a cheerful cute girl then, said, "No, we've made it this far, just a bit further!" She pulled me into the baths. She tossed me into the boy's half, then headed off on her own. It was empty in the boys' half, so I stripped and washed. I removed my glasses, picked up a bucket of water, and scrubbed myself clean. I rinsed myself off by scooping the water onto my skin. If I turned on the shower, it wouldn't run. Probably because my perception of time was that warped. I put on my glasses, and all the water fell on me in one cold instant. I gasped, then grabbed my towel. I was done here; I was clean and wanted to head back. I got clothed, then called for Ray. She didn't answer. I got worried; had she fainted or something? I removed my glasses, going into my reality. I walked into the girl's shower. It was empty. Good, I didn't feel so embarrassed now. I turned around and there she was. Only with a towel to cover her body, Ray was standing by a mirror combing her hair. She was frozen in time, stuck midway in the motion of smoothing her hair. I realized I needed to see her moving; it was a desire. I wanted this statue to come to life. So I put on my glasses. She returned to combing her hair, then noticed me. Her eyes widened as I turned pink. Oh crap. I grabbed my glasses frantically as she pointed her finger at me. Suddenly, my hair burst into flames as I removed my glasses. I ran over to a bucket and stuck my head in. The fire fizzled out, so I put on my glasses and grabbed the bucket, ready to defend myself. She was way more powerful than she claimed. It was then that we realized how powerful the other truly was. She had hidden her secret from me and lied, while I had chosen not to tell her. We promised never to tell about the other. Except, now that we were each holding the other accountable, our friendship began fizzling out. Though I still cared about her, she distanced herself further and further away from me...almost like she hated me. I refused to ask her, afraid to shatter my image of her in my heart, and allowed her to have her way in everything. She was beyond my grasp now, though I would always care for her till the end.

She finally walked out, dressed quite adorably. I pushed away from the wall, pushing my glasses up while trying to hide my blush. I glanced at her appearance again, then said, "You look different."  
She smiled at me and said,"I'm trying to. Come with me. I have something to do and it would look strange if I was by myself."  
I was silent for a moment. She, the Magnifying Ray, had just asked me for my help. Of course I agreed to help.

We walked a good mile, while I tried to figure out what we were doing. Ray refused to answer my questions, just glancing around as if she was looking for someone. She noticed something and smiled while grabbing my hand. Even though this was an act, that simple smile caused my heart to flutter. She walked inside a cafe, and I noticed someone I recognized in line. 'Biribiri' was what Touma called her, though her real name was Misaka Mikoto. I ran into her time and again while wandering around with Touma. She had some sort of duel to win against him, which wasn't my business. Ray bumped into her as we entered the line. Misaka fell, as Ray looked shock. The girl stood back up, sighing. "No big deal, there was no harm." Ray held out her hand with a bright smile. "My name is Miskuni Ray." I'd never heard that before. Just a fake title, to throw Misaka off. Misaka smiled and said,"Misaka Mikoto" She returned Ray's greeting with a handshake. It was her turn to order, so Misaka turned away. Ray looked pleased with herself, and seemed to want me to bow to her knowledge. So I asked. "Who is she?" Ray's answer was cynical and very puzzling. "You can watch and listen. I'm going to say a lot of things that you won't understand, and I'm hoping for that. You want insight into my life? Here you go." Good thing I sorta knew Misaka. I was completely lost, but I was willing to listen to learn a little more about Ray. Misaka got her order and walked over to a window booth. We ordered and headed towards her booth. Guess Ray didn't mind invading others' privacy. Ray sat down first and I sat down next to her. Ray spoke then.  
"I'm just going to cut to the chase here. You wouldn't happen to be the original that the Sisters were copied from, would you?" I was confused by this statement and question. Misaka wasn't. Her head snapped up so fast I could have sworn she suffered major whip lash.  
"What do you know about the Sisters?!" Misaka asked in a strained tone.  
"I don't know if they told you about me, but I'm the unknown doing your study. However, after tonight, they're cutting me off, trying to kill me. I've killed many of your Sisters, so I don't expect any sympathy from you. However, I just thought someone connected to all this should know what is happening in case I pass on." Ray pulled out a data chip. I was surprised; Ray normally strayed away from technology. She handed the chip to Misaka, who looked shock.  
"In this is everything I've gathered from years inside the scientists' labs. I know you have been destroying them, and that will tell you how to completely pull the Sisters away from the scientists orders. I hope it'll help save as many as I've killed, maybe more."  
She got up, grabbing her mocha and pushing me out of the booth. I stumbled to my feet, grabbing my iced coffee. Misaka grabbed Ray's hand and said,"I can never fully forgive you for killing so many Sisters, but... thank-you. At least you're trying to set things right." Ray pulled away.  
"If I live or die, it doesn't matter, because I want the Sister Project over. It's tasteless." Ray stated coldly, then she and I headed off.


	6. Narrow Escape

We left the cafe and Ray began walking away. I followed her, then stopped. "Ray...what is going on with you?" I asked. She continued walking, merely saying,"Doesn't matter." That tone, coupled with her strange message before, left me with a cold chill. She was falling into depression. I ran forward, grabbing her hand. "I'm serious, Ray. What was all that about? Who was that girl regarding the Sisters? Who is trying to kill you tonight? Maybe I can help-" She pulled out of my grasp and continued walking away. "I have to get ready for my dinner with Touma. By the time we get back, he'll be arriving to pick me up." She wouldn't tell me anymore; I knew Ray well enough to tell I had reached a dead-end. I wanted desperately to help her, but I knew she would refuse to tell me a thing in order to 'protect' me. I only knew one other person with access to information regarding this 'Sister' thing, and she was behind me at the cafe. I looked at Ray's rapidly vanishing figure, and made my choice. I turned around and sprinted towards the cafe, and Misaka Mikoto.

I ran up to the cafe and glanced at the window booth. Misaka had left. I looked down the street and saw her turn around a corner. Damn! I reached up, pulling off my glasses. The crowded plaza, bustling with activity, suddenly stopped. Everything froze, hanging suspended in time. I wove my way through the frozen people, and ran down the street. I turned the corner and saw Misaka posed to jump. I ran forward, slipping my glasses on. Her feet left the ground as I tackled her from the side. She fell along with me. I rolled through the tackle, coming to a rest on my feet. Misaka lit up in electric sparks, prepared to attack. I set my hand on my glasses as she turned towards me. She saw me, and asked,"Aren't you that guy from before?" I nodded, and she relaxed. The sparks vanished and her hair settled. "Why'd you tackle me?" She looked at me, searching for an answer. I swallowed, pushing all my fears and regrets to the side, then said,"I'm here to help you stop the Sister Project." She looked at me, searching for any sign of sarcasm. "You want me to let you help stop a Project that almost killed me? What are you, a level 5?" She said it sarcastically, but I replied seriously. "Yes, I'm a Level 5. I have an ability that could defeat yours." She looked at me, then reached into her pocket. "Is that so?" She suddenly flicked a coin into the air, and fired it at my chest. The Rail-gun, a coin fired at the speed of light, with a penetrating power of a high caliber sniper rifle. I suddenly stepped through the shot, taking my glasses off and sidestepping the fast projectile. She could barely believe it, but she finally consented. She told me about a laboratory she had discovered nearby that was a base for the Sister Project. We were going to go over there and shut down the base for good.

We broke into the lab easily, which both startled me and made me weary. This was a perfect trap. If the Scientists behind this project wanted to kill Misaka Mikoto, this was the best place to do it. We found the room with the documents inside, and began leafing through the files. I found one labeled 'Magnifying Ray - Final Operation'. I opened it and found the location and specs of the next, and last, operation Ray would be in. Misaka found a few files describing in detail the various Sisters and their weapons for the various tests. We found a folder without a label, and inside was only a picture. It was of a white-haired teenage boy, the very one I had seen recently. Written on the back was 'Accelerator'. Misaka kept the picture, and we moved on to the next room. Inside was a huge computer console, that monitored all the systems inside this research facility. Misaka walked up to the interface, and clicked it on. A sudden flash emerged from the screen, and a message began displaying:  
Dear Intruders, I regret to inform you that this is where one of you will have to leave the stage. If both of you try to leave this room, it will trigger a self-destruct sequence. If neither of you leave before five minutes is up, the self-destruct sequence will occur. Starting now, you have five minutes. Have fun, Misaka Mikoto!  
A timer appeared, and began counting down from five minutes. Misaka looked at the timer in shock, then collapsed to the ground. "No...This can't be the end. How can I lose here?" I walked over and hefted her onto her feet. "Misaka, I want you to leave now." She started to complain, but I cut her off. "Don't argue! Hurry up! I can escape as long as you get out of here first." I walked over to the camera screen, and stood at ease facing the screen. "Go, Misaka. Don't worry, I won't die. I can't die..." I looked at the file in my hand, as a twinge ran through my body. She stood up, and asked,"Promise you'll live!" I didn't turn. "Yes, Misaka, I will live! Now go before the timer runs out!" The timer hit 3:58 as she ran into the hallway. I monitored her progress, memorizing the path I would need to take. I glanced at the timer. 1:00...0:59...0:58... Hurry, Misaka!

Misaka ran outside, running for the adjacent building. She ran into the alley and turned. As she did, the laboratory blew up. She looked at it in shock. But...he had promised...

I watched as Misaka arrived at the alley. Ten seconds and counting. I ran towards the door, narrowing my focus. It would take every ounce of my concentration to make it out of this scenario alive. I yanked off my glasses the instant my foot touched outside the room. Though time froze, the laboratory immediately began blowing up. If I touched any spark or piece of metal...it wouldn't be pretty. I began my obstacle course, where the prize for winning was my life and the penalty was a brutal death.  
I barely made it to the door, as flames shot through the metal at my feet. I dived out, rolling to my feet. A day had passed in my reality and I had almost died. I began walking towards Misaka, who was watching the fireworks behind me. I passed her then realized I was still in my time. I slipped my glasses on and a wave of heat struck me in the back. The laboratory had just finished blowing up. Misaka looked at it in shock, and I realized she thought I was still in there. I smiled and walked up behind her. I took the file in my hand and bopped her on the head. She jumped as I said,"I told you I would live, didn't I?" Her reaction was to begin crying and calling me names. So much for dignified. She finally got a hold on her emotions and we swapped numbers. We would meet up later to stop this mysterious 'Accelerator'; first, I needed to save Ray. I glanced at the now-dark sky. A lot of time had passed inside that lab. I checked my watch. 11:30. Nowhere near enough time. Lucky for me, I had all the time in the world with my ability. I took off my glasses, ignoring the slight headache that was beginning to form...


	7. Midnight Showdown

I ran into the area where the experiment was being held. I saw Ray, and started to run towards her. Then I struck an invisible wall and came to a grinding halt. I stopped and glanced around. An esper ability!? I turned then saw the cars and vans forming a perimeter around the project site. This wasn't in the experiment folder...Damn. I began walking towards the guards and slipped on my glasses. The slightly chubby guy in a suit spoke loudly,"Something just brushed my shield! There's some sort of trespasser!" The guy who seemed to be in charge shut the fat man up with a slap. "Silence, fat-ass. The mouse is right here." He pointed at me as I stopped fifteen feet away. The other guys, now filled with a sense of purpose, fell out and formed a semi-circle around me with their guns raised. Automatic rifles; illegal in Academy City, and most of Japan. The man in charge pulled out a pair of sunglasses and slipped them on. He began walking towards me and said. "Kid...I'm sorry to say this, but you stepped in at the worst possible moment. I, along with my men, need to make sure this girl 'Magnifying Ray' bites the dust tonight. I'm afraid that any attempt on your part to change that will be futile and worthless." He suddenly pulled out a pistol as I went for my glasses, setting the gun across the bridge between my lenses. I paused, fingers millimeters from the metal solace. "Boy...if you're gonna use something like that, don't let your enemy see you touch your glasses!" I realized when he had seen me; from before, when I had put my glasses on. Now, I was honestly trapped. I lowered my arm, as the man pulled a cigar from his pocket and chomped down on the end. "You wanna know the difference between me and you boy? I'm ruthless and your pathetic. You came here honestly believing you could save your little girlfriend. Unfortunately, no matter how noble your convictions, you can't save her." I finally spoke up as he lit his cigar. "What do you mean, I can't save her?" He puffed a ring of smoke, tucking his lighter into his pocket, then used his free hand to pull the cigar out. "This entire area is rigged to explode at 12:10. We are payed to make sure she stays here till that time. You can try to stop us..." He pauses to blow smoke into my face. I wince and cough as he finishes. "...but I'm afraid this counts as checkmate." I felt his muscle tense, heard the click as his finger pressed on the trigger. I spun to the right, and the bullet cut a trail through the air in front of my face. I caught his arm, twisting it and forcing him to release the pistol. Being caught up in the moment, I asked. "Where was this checkmate of yours?" He shouted, and the entire group opened fire. But my hand was already on my glasses before the shout was finished. As I took them off, something struck my entire being. My powerful ability was being limited. I glanced at the bullets; these were traveling at around the speed of a sprinting person. A level 4 limiter was among these assholes. I pulled free of the guy and rolled back. Sound, slowed and distorted through the time warp, reached my ears. Someone was screaming, and the roar of the rifles penetrated everything. I ran forward, attacking the nearest guy. He pointed his rifle at me slowly, and I grabbed the barrel and stabbed him in the throat with a jab. He fell back, clutching his throat. I spun, then ran to the right to avoid bullets sailing towards me. Under normal circumstances, guns were worthless to me. Here, I could actually use them. I flicked the rifle onto three-round burst, and pointed it at the man across from me, I pulled the trigger, and bullets shot from the barrel towards him. I ran forward, following the bullets towards their target. The man tried shooting me, but I dodged between the bullets he fired. My three bullets struck him in the chest and he crumpled in a mist of blood. I jumped up, landing on the falling man's shoulder and flicking the rifle onto automatic. I leaped off, spinning and holding down the trigger. Bullets rained down on the men, striking a few and causing them to falter. I landed, rolling across the ground and standing in front of a man. He tried to draw his knife, but I caught his hand and twisted his wrist. I felt the bone pop, then the muscles and skin tear under my fierce grapple. He released the hold on his knife, and I snatched it out of the air. I slit his throat, then my abilities came back fully. Everyone froze, and the bullets lazily traced paths through the air. Now, I had the supreme advantage.

I finished incapacitating the final man, then picked up an abandoned cell phone. I glanced at the watch. 12:07!? I ran into the experiment site, in time to see and hear Ray say her final words to her burning opponent then fall. Her opponent was just a pile of ashes by the time I got close. I ran to Ray's side and picked her up. Her breathing was quick, and her heartbeat erratic. Damn. I began running towards the refuge of the street, when the leader of the guards sat up with a pained smile. He mouthed, "Checkmate." as he pulled out a remote detonator. I knew it was around 12:08...with my ability, I could break that detonator, but I wouldn't be able to save Ray. Then I realized; unless I could adapt my ability on the spot to include Ray, she was going to die. I only had milliseconds to repeat Ray's marvelous feat; I needed to gain the next level of strength as an esper. I pulled off my glasses, and focused my mind. The head-ache changed to a migraine, as my power flowed through my entire self and into Ray. I could feel time warping around us; the ability wasn't working. The man pressed the button, and I knew I needed to do it. I pushed myself past the brink, and my mind snapped. I descended into darkness...

Maxwell, leader of the group of guards, watched as the boy tried to run. It was futile; he couldn't escape. The bomb began exploding, destroying the center of the site and working out. The kid suddenly blurred, then appeared outside the bomb radius, girl in his arms. He blurred again, then vanished. Maxwell sighed, then turned towards the light. It had been a good life...

The desk clerk at the hospital glanced up as a teenage boy appeared in front of his desk, holding an injured girl. "Please help her; she was injured in a fight." The clerk sat up. "Umm...please tell me the girl's name..." "Miskuni Ray." He wrote the name down, then said. "Please carry her back here; we have one of the Academy's best doctors on call here." As soon as he set the girl down on the table, he fainted, falling backwards. The clerk caught him, then set him down. The boy's pulse was going haywire; had he run some sort of marathon? Well...the clerk pushed the boy to the side, and covered him up with a blanket. The doctor came in and noticed him. "What's this?" "The kid who brought her in; he fainted." The doctor nodded, then said,"Let me get to work on fixing up our girl here..."


	8. Shutting Down the Sister Project

I woke up early with only a slight headache. My mind remembered the things that had occurred the night before vividly. I glanced at the bed next to me. Ray was sleeping, and had only a few bandages. I smiled and stood up. I had saved her. I brushed my hand across her brow, when the frog-faced doctor came in. "Ah! The sleeping boy finally wakes from his slumber! Want to tell me what happened to this girl last night?" His voice changed as he spoke, going from carefree to solid steel. I removed my hand from Ray's head, and turned towards him. "She was in a fight with a gang last night; she had to fight them off till I stepped in." He smiled and asked,"How stupid do you think I am? I know electric attacks when I see them; she looks like she took a lightning bolt at point-blank range." I forced a smile and said,"Level 4 electric user on a rampage; they had plenty of high-level users among that group." He sighed then said,"I think you're lying to me. But I can't force the truth out of you, so I'll leave it at that. Your friend here got shot, severely sprained her ankle, and almost got fried by lightning...where were you while this was happening?" His tone became an accusatory one, and I clenched my hand into a fist. I spoke in a strained voice, saying angrily. "I did my best to reach her; I risked my life to save hers." The man nodded, then checked the monitors hooked up to Ray. He finished writing notes on his clipboard, then left. But, he paused in the door and said. "I can't believe you, when she took thrice the damage you did." He then left, leaving me in shock.

I went into the cafe the hospital had and ordered a coffee. I poured creamer into it then sat down in an empty chair. I needed to gather my thoughts. What had I done last night? Was I truly at fault for Ray getting hurt like she did? I paused, then opened my hand. I had done something with my power as well. That level 4 limiter had suppressed my ability against my will. Could I repeat the same feat of my own accord? I removed my glasses, and everything in the room froze. I focused on the feeling I had, of the accumulation of power in my mind. Then, I focused on dimming it. I felt the power dim, then flatten out. The room began speeding up around me, people's voices coming through slowly in my perception. I completely stopped my powers, and the room returned to normal. I stared at the glasses on the table. I had done it! I had stopped my ability of my own accord! As I began thinking this, my ability suddenly snapped free of my control, whip-lashing me back into the slowed reality. I almost collapsed as the pain coursed through my mind. I had been over-ambitious; I had merely stopped my ability for a single moment. I was nowhere near being able to cast aside my shackles, these glasses that were both my cure and bane. She, the Scientist who had given them to me, had told me they were only a temporary tool I would need. They would suppress my abilities entirely. They had the power to completely banish the ability of the wearer. I grasped the glasses and slipped them on. The cafe returned to normal around me. I picked up my still-hot coffee and took a sip. I should get something for Ray. A gift of some sort. I glanced around and noticed a booth selling flowers and fruit baskets. I would get a bouquet of red flowers and a fruit basket for her. That might help reduce her anger a little bit.

I walked up to Ray's room, and heard her talking loudly to the frog-faced doctor. Drat. She was awake. I sighed, already feeling the heat building in my face. I cursed my luck and forced a smile as I walked in. My cheeks turned hot as I entered. I saw a mixture of rage and shock pass over her face. "What were you thinking, taking me to a hospital! Why were you even there!?" Ray exclaimed. Simple, I followed Misaka and scoured over your past using the Scientists notes on the Sister Project, then followed you to the experiment site. That's what I thought, but saying it would only make her even angrier and make the doctor interested. I saw her eyes narrow, and it took all my will-power not to go for my glasses. I felt my shirt flatten and a heat washed over me. That was unusual. She should have lit me on fire. She was obviously shocked as well. "Dammit! Why isn't this working!?" Ray exclaimed. The doctor smiled and said,"Well, until your nerves heal, you won't have full power with your esper abilities. You must have really strained yourself." I was safe. I knew I would regret it later, but I decided to play with weak Ray as much as possible. I grumbled. "Sorry for saving your life. If I hadn't picked you up, the Anti-skills would have." With a small spoon. I didn't add the last comment, knowing the doctor nor Ray would believe my story. She waved off my comment. "They would have called it self-defense." They would call it mass-destruction, Ray. If only you knew the truth of what happened last night. I added,"Ya, whatever. I thought you would be nice, though." The doctor left us to quarrel. I stepped closer, sticking the bouquet of flowers in a vase on the stand next to her bed and setting the basket on the table. She looked at the flowers with a mixture of emotions, and I thought I was off the line. But she suddenly grabbed my collar, pulling me in close. "Next time, don't play the hero. Got it?" I was fed up with this. "Sure, you don't want to be saved, I get it." She let go, but I remained close. Might as well enjoy it. She looked at the fruit approvingly. She probably knew firsthand how much hospital food sucked. She suddenly asked, "Who are these from?" Struck by the sudden question, I replied defensively. "Well, Touma sent the fruit basket, and I think the guy who wants to dress you up sent the flowers." She looked like she didn't believe me. Oh well. I decided to look further into the comment she made the previous night.  
"Ray, something you said when I arrived bothered me. What do you mean that you're already higher than level 5?" She smirked. I'm guessing she felt good she had something to brag about. "Light travels at, well, the speed of light. The sun is thousands of miles away, and if it were to suddenly go out, it would take eight minutes for us to be covered in darkness." I sighed. "Thanks for the science lesson, but I still don't get it." She started again."Just wait. So what about a star? Stars are the same matter as the sun, but even in light years, it would take us thousands of years to see one disappear. That's a lot longer than eight minutes. I had to bend the rays given off by a sun thousands of light years away that might already be dead in order to have enough light to torch the sister. Follow me?" Absolutely not. So I replied in like. "How is that even possible?" She glanced at me and said,"How is it possible for you to surpass time? It just is." Touche. I sat at the end of her bed. I planned on explaining what I had found out last night, when the door burst open. I launched myself onto my feet, ready to guard Ray. But it was only Touma and his two friends. Blue-Hair made his move, being the pervert he is, first. "So Touma comes out and my beautiful Ray of Sunshine gets put in. Who would dare hurt such a fair maiden?" He grabbed her hand to kiss it, but she yanked it free. I answered Blue-Hair's question. "A group of thugs were bothering her." Tsuchikimado spoke thoughtfully. "Ah, so Luke here rescued her and saved the day..." Ray spoke up. "He did not, he arrived right after I burned them all for messing with me." Touma nodded faithfully. "Really? You're one tough chick." The trio started bickering among one another, so I decided to retreat. I went into the hallway and sat down in a chair next to the door. I would guard this door in case someone arrived looking to harm Ray.

I woke up as Misaka brushed into me leaving Ray's room. She saw me and gasped. She was obviously shocked. "You?!" I grabbed her wrist, pulling her further down the hall. She was too shocked to even try zapping me. I stopped down the hall away from Ray's room, then asked. "Is the Project finished?" She glanced down. "No; there's still the other we found in the files." I nodded, then asked,"Did you request Ray's help in defeating him?" She nodded, and I face palmed. Knowing Ray, she would force herself out of her grave to keep a commitment. I looked Misaka in the eye and said,"When were you planning on confronting the other person?" She replied,"One...A.M., tomorrow morning." I groaned. That was definitely bad. I finally looked at her and said,"I'm coming as well. I plan on defeating this person before Ray gets into the fight." I needed to protect Ray...even if it meant risking my life. Misaka looked at me, then collapsed to her knees. I tried to catch her, but she waved me off. "Thank you so much...I never dreamed two level fives would help me resolve a problem caused by my foolishness..." She started to cry, but I wiped the tears off and said. "You need to stay strong; at least until we stop this person. What is his name?" She wiped away the rest of her tears, then spoke stiffly,"His title is Accelerator; his power allows him to reflect all attacks on any vector around him. He would beat me in less than a hundred fifty moves..." I heard the resignation in her voice. How powerful was this guy?! But I had already decided I would fight this monster and beat him to protect Ray and Misaka. I asked her where it would be and she told me. Then I headed home to get rest. I would need it for tonight and facing Accelerator...


	9. Fighting a Monster

I tried to fall asleep that afternoon, but it evaded my grasp. All I could think about was the upcoming fight. This 'Accelerator' was by far one of the most dangerous foes I had ever faced. On top of that, his ability was tricky. It could vector all attacks on any plane; this meant all my physical attacks were ineffective. I would still try to strike him, but I didn't trust my advantage at all. I sighed than glanced at the clock. It was 12:30?! Where had my afternoon gone to?! I groaned and got out of my bed. I needed to grab a few items before heading out. I was heading to a cargo yard around two miles away. A brisk jog that would only take 0.2 seconds in real-time. Thank Science for my ability...

I arrived around the same time as Misaka. She glanced at me as I slipped my glasses on. "You ready?" I asked. She nodded, and I could see her nervous gulp. She was obviously brushing aside a lot of fear by being here. I started to smile, when a burst of automatic fire drew both of our attentions to further in the cargo yard. "But it's only 12:50!?" She said in shock. I grimaced and said,"A ploy; they gave us false info so we would arrive to find her dead body. Let's go!" I charged into the cargo yard, racing around the box-cart between me and the noises. When I turned the corner, I was in time to see a Misaka clone get hit by a bullet she fired. The white-haired boy named Accelerator laughed victoriously, and charged the falling girl. Misaka shouted,"No!" As I yanked off my glasses. Everything stopped, including Accelerator. I ran forward, going for the falling clone. I grabbed her, ignoring the lightning making my muscles lock up and tremble. I forced myself to move, heading for Misaka. I set the clone next to her, then whirled to face Accelerator. I reached into my back pocket, drawing out a pair of black gloves. They were the last remaining articles from my pained past with Judgement, armored gloves for martial-artists. I slid them on, clenching my fist and feeling their cool embrace. I sighed, steeling my resolve. I then focused my mind. I needed to speed up reality slightly. I hoped I could find cracks in this 'shield' of Accelerator's in a slowed reality. I focused my power, and reduced it slightly. I glanced at my clock. The hand was moving at around thrice the speed it was before. Now I was working with around five minutes per minute in reality. Good. I looked up in time to see Misaka's lightning fly towards Accelerator. With a swing of his hand, the lightning split, arcing to either side. I charged him, pausing in front of him while taking a martial arts stance. His gaze turned down slowly, as I threw a strong right punch at his face. I felt my fist strike...then get blown back with the same amount of force. I spun back, crashing into the ground. Damn, that hurt! I opened my hand, feeling the muscles inside tremble from the sheer amount of force that had struck it. How had that happened?! I stood back up, aiming this time for a knuckle strike to his throat. This time my arm was blown back and my elbow caught me in the gut with enough force to double me over. I collapsed on my knees, struggling to force the pain to subside. It felt like I had torn all the muscles inside my arm. I forced myself to raise that arm again. I would not give up. Accelerator looked pleased by my attempts at an attack, though he couldn't see me due to my speed. He was saying something that I couldn't hear. I stood, then noticed something. Ray was slowly standing up behind us, holding a flashlight. Great; I had waited too long. I stepped back, raising my foot to deliver a powerful kick. I aimed for the side of his head, but my foot struck his shields yet again, and I was blown back. I fell to the ground and grabbed my foot. That had really hurt! He finally saw me, before I stood up and began to run again. He said something that was lost in the void my 'reality' created. I jumped back, preparing to strike again at his face. I saw a thin beam of light strike his shoulder; a slight burn formed. He turned, and I felt the chill shift. I punched with all my might, and was rewarded this time with flesh. He reeled back, and I charged forward. But he glanced back, and I struck his shield yet again. Dammit! This was definitely not working! I saw him begin speaking again, when I realized something. I was holding the key to success in this battle in my pocket. The glasses; the bane of my ability. They should work as well on him! I prayed I was right; if I was wrong, and my glasses broke, I was as good as dead, done in by my own ability. I slipped them out of my pocket, placing them on his face. His face began changing, from joy to shock. There was my cue. I allowed my power to return, and everything froze. Even Ray's light-beam stopped. This was new; a pseudo time-stop. I launched into my attack, striking Accelerator fifteen times in the chest. Every time it was like hitting a training post. He was obviously trapped in this time, frozen by reality. I stepped back, spin-kicking him in the jaw. His feet actually left the ground by a millimeter. I stepped forward, snatching my glasses from his nose. As my hand touched the metal of my glasses, my time-stop vanished and Accelerator's head started spinning to the side as he flew back. I slipped my glasses on, and Accelerator slammed into the ground. My foot began stinging as my adrenaline began dissipating. I started breathing heavy, realizing how exhausted I became during the time-stop. That had been an entirely different experience for me. I glanced up as Misaka slammed into me. She hugged me, exclaiming,"Thanks so much for offering to help!" I glanced up at Ray, and smiled sheepishly. She had given me a sort of strange look than began climbing down from her perch. I smiled and tried prying Misaka off. As much as I enjoyed the contact, in front of Ray it felt wrong. I finally pushed Misaka off, but she was still gushing praises about me. I saw Ray coming over, and I rubbed my neck guiltily. "I never thought anyone would be able to break through his technique, except maybe that annoying jerk with the Imagine Breaker..." Oh yeah, she knew...For Ray's sake alone. "Wait, you know Touma?" Ray looked surprised; she obviously hadn't anticipated Touma's unique ability. She sighed then said,"Well, I'm going home to sleep." I turned to her, away from Misaka and the Sister. "I'll take you back to the hospital." Now, I swear she actually looked bashful and embarrassed. "If I go back there, then I'll have to deal with them all being mad at me. I sort of...left while chaos was ensuing." I sighed, but didn't bother with scolding her. She had given me a great display of cute, which was worth a lot. "Fine, I'll take you home." Misaka looked at the two of us, puzzled. "You two know each other?" Ray answered before I could. "We're roommates." Misaka turned red and glanced down. She had obviously begun forming some sort of fake connections, and saw them shattered with that comment. Ray responded yet again. "We're not together!" She stomped away, leaving the rest of us behind. I glanced at Misaka apologetically, then ran to catch up to Ray. She noticed me and asked. "Why are you here?" I decided to cobble together a decent story then...of course it wasn't going to be great. "Well...I ran into Misaka-" She cut me off, then demanded,"NO! I mean, why are you here when you should be with her, celebrating the victory?" I smiled and said,"Well...because you're my friend Ray, and you're weak right now. I don't want you to get hurt or run into trouble along the way." She almost looked like she would cry, so I shut up. We didn't speak the rest of the way home. She stormed into her room and went to sleep. I started to walk into my room, when I noticed her phone on the counter. I picked it up; it was dead. I decided to charge it and return it to her the next morning...


	10. All Things Break With Time

I couldn't sleep; something was bothering me. These scientists, who had used Ray and the Accelerator, were willing to do so much to achieve the legendary level '6'; how would they react now that she and I had crashed the program? I sat up in bed and looked at the clock. It was only 7:45. I had slept in late. I got out of bed and headed into the kitchen for a quick breakfast. I fixed a bagel, then remembered the phone from the previous night. I walked into my room, scooping the phone off my dresser and turning it on. The phone started up normally. But once it turned completely on and reached the main screen, it started showing missed calls. I glanced through the messages flooding the phone; questions like 'Where are you?' and 'What are you plotting?!', statements like 'You escaped our snare, Ray. How!?'. I sighed, realizing how much I was invading Ray's privacy. I cleared the inbox, and tossed the phone on the counter. I heard a thump from Ray's room; Sleeping Beauty was finally awake. The phone suddenly vibrated, which surprised me. The last text I had seen had said 'We are no longer negotiating.' I picked up the phone and opened the text. What I saw made me almost fall. 'We know you ruined the Level 6 project. We have cut you off and spilled to the media the true identity of the myth, Magnifying Ray.' was what the text said. Dammit! I heard Ray speak from behind, and I jumped. "Luke, is nothing sacred?! Now you're reading my texts?!" I met her gaze, trying to force the fear and sympathy I felt aside. She hobbled over and snatched the phone from my hand. She began reading the text that had killed my hopes. She gasped and dropped the phone. Her hand rose to her mouth in shock. She ran to the window in our small living room and glanced out. What she saw obviously shocked her even more. She grabbed the remote off the television and turned it on. The television flickered to life and a reporter began spilling her story. "It was released not an hour ago that the legendary Magnifying Ray, also known as the Level 6, is in fact a real person, paid by the government for experiments. The identity is finally released as a last nameless teenager called Ray. She attends a local public school that specializes in espers with low levels. There she was posing as a Level 1. Ray's life before she was seven is unrecorded, but sources leak that she was from one of the testing facilities and one of the first." She turned off the television, and her eyes began watering. She began crying, tears falling a making streaks on her pajamas. I walked into the living room, and sat next to her. I tried to just be a comforting presence in this time of trials for Ray. Her problems were as much mine as they were hers. Since that day...that day? What was I thinking? I promised to protect her because she was my dear friend. I tried to sound comforting, saying, "Ray, I-!?" What I was going to say left unheard, because a loud ruckus started outside the door. Among the many voices I heard our homeroom teacher, Miss Komoe. I stood up to go answer the door, but Ray turned and went for her room. Good plan. I waited till the door to her room locked, then opened the door. Reporters tried forcing their way in, but I managed to hold the door shut against their advance. Our short homeroom teacher squeezed between the burly man trying to force his way in; she was the only one I had intended to let in, so I braced myself and forced the door shut. Now that all the reporter were on the outside, I locked the door. Ray came into the hallway, as I finally turned around to get a look at our homeroom teacher. Miss Komoe looked like she had dressed in a rush; made sense, seeing how one of her students had made breaking news. She spoke in her little kid tone, demanding, "Luke, Ray, have you seen the news?!" Ray replied first. "Just did." I replied next. "Bad, isn't it?" Komoe-sensei looked at Ray, and asked,"Well, is it true? Are you really the one that burned all those people and...are you really a level 5, Ray?" Ray glanced at me, and I saw a look of resignation fill her face. She had given up. So I replied to Komoe. "It was all an experiment, Miss Komoe. Didn't you hear the news? Besides, she had to protect her contract and all those were self-defense. Just look at her, she's some gang's perfect hit. She had to protect herself and she was forced to kill all them. Part of her contract was that she stay no more than a myth." Komoe looked surprised, as she asked,"You are in on all this, Luke?" Ray looked grateful, which was good. Komoe looked ready to give both of us a full interrogation, when a loud rap on the door interrupted all of us. The reporters had been quiet for a while, waiting like stalkers for us to open that door. So, it was someone official that was working for or against us. I walked up to the door, setting my hand on my glasses. A security blanket, in case it would be against us. I looked through the peephole; there was an official looking lady, who appeared to be dressed as a teacher. She let out an aura not unlike that of a Martial Art's master. I was more than surprised. So I opened the door, fearing she would take it down if I didn't let her in. She came in, as the reporters snapped pictures of me. I closed the door behind her then followed her into the room. Komoe and Ray seemed surprised by the woman's appearance. The woman arranged her glasses, then spoke. "I am the Dorm Supervisor at Tokiwadai Middle School and I am here to represent the school board." Tokiwadai, Misaka Mikoto's school. I smiled as I remembered Blue-Hair's lament about the number of cute girls in there that he had no access too. The lady continued speaking. "The school board would like to give you a scholarship so that you transfer to Tokiwadai immediately, Your new dorm was cleaned and prepared this morning." I admit, I was shocked. It was all too sudden. I held onto the counter, forcing myself to be strong, though a sick feeling coursed through my stomach. Ray looked terrible, like she had been struck yet again by Fate's cruel whip. Komoe, strangely, looked like she was going to cry. Komoe spoke. "Ray goes-" The Dorm Supervisor cut her off. "Her former high school is not equipped to handle an esper of Miss Ray's caliber. Tokiwadai is one of the finest schools and is well prepared for a student like Miss Ray." I cut in, my voice cracking on the beginning. "B-but Tokiwadai is a middle school and Ray is a first year high school student!" The Dorm Supervisor shook her head then said,"Ray is in fact born on December 31st. Being born on the last day of the year, she should have been held back and can be considered at the age of a last year middle school student. Legally, she can spend the last semester at Tokiwadai as a middle school student. As her grades are, she will have to redo this year of schooling anyway. At Tokiwadai we can change her from a failing student to an A student within the week." I almost laughed at the last statement. I had known Ray for seven years; she was not cut out for school. I thought about the possibilities; if Ray went to Tokiwadai, she would have a chance to gain a normal-ish life, and would be away from the reporters. The only downfall was I would be left behind. I was an unknown level 5, and she was headed to an all-girls middle school. I pushed down all the fears and regrets I was feeling and smiled at Ray. "Go for it. It's not like we'll never see each other again. We'll still live in the same city. Not to mention Touma still thinks that you're best friends for life. She smiled and looked at the Dorm Supervisor. "Alright, I'll pack up all my things." Ray said, but the Dorm Supervisor spoke. "Just come with me. The movers will pick up your things and bring them to your dorm later. Get dressed then we have to get you fitted for your uniform, gym uniform, and swimming uniform." The Supervisor followed Ray to her room, leaving Komoe and I behind. I smiled then turned towards the door. Komoe tried to stop me, but I removed my glasses and ran for the door. I barreled through the reporters, heading towards no destination in particular. I had stopped the Sister Project and saved thousands of lives...but my heart wondered if it was truly worth losing the relationship I had cherished for the last seven years. I finally stopped running as I entered a nondescript alley, then slipped on my glasses. I collapsed against the wall and cried. Time did destroy all things; my power was useless against this problem. I lay there, then realized something; another rumor Blue-Hair had told me: Almost all the faculty members were male. I realized something; I was a college-level student in all aspects of my studies. I could enter Tokiwadai as a teacher! Only one slight problem: I had a high-school diploma and no teaching degree. I stood up, realizing the one thing I had that only a select few could boast about: I was a Level 5. I decided then that I would reveal my identity as the Level 5 Breaker, and become a student-teacher at Tokiwadai. School started in a week, so I needed to work fast.


	11. Becoming an Intellectual

Chapter 11: Becoming an Intellectual

I stood up and began running home. I needed to fetch some things I had put away. Things I hadn't wanted to touch ever again. Fragments of a past that I desperately wanted to forget.

I ran up to the apartment and opened the door. The lights inside were off and silence surrounded the rooms. Ray was already gone along with the Principal. I noticed a small note on the counter. I picked it up and read.

_I know this is hard, Luke. If you need someone to talk to, I'll be there._

_-Komoe-sensei_

I smiled slightly as I set the paper lightly on the counter. The tiny teacher honestly cared about me. I would need to thank her later. I felt my phone vibrate and pulled it out. There was a short text from Ray.

'_Thanks for everything, Luke.'_

I closed my phone shut as the strange feelings welled up again. I needed to get back on track. I walked past the kitchen and into the hallway. Passing Ray's room, I continued until I reached my room. I flicked on the light switch and walked inside. Everything was the way I left it. I walked over to my bed and sat on it. Already my mind was having doubts. I shook my head before I slid off the bed and knelt next to it. I reached under my bed, pulling out an old, leather suit-case. It was the only gift my 'parents' had given me before shipping me off to the Academy city. Everything from my past was hidden inside this old box. I set the case on my bed and stared at it. I took a deep breath and then unlocked the latches.

The first thing I saw was an old photo. It had been taken just 4 years ago, but it seemed like it had been centuries. I stared at the group of young kids, smiling happily, and traced a finger under the lone girl. Then I grabbed the photo and flipped it over as the fear and trauma returned.

The case, #773, that had been unsolved. Four kids killed and a lone survivor. The murderer never found. And only one memory remained in my mind: the name, Dante.

I finally caught my breath and began shuffling through the papers. There were birth documents, social security cards, passports, and other legal documents. I pulled out an old piece of paper, from 8 years past. My old high school diploma, from America, was wrinkled around the edges. Unbeknownst to Ray and my friends, I had graduated from my high school at age 9. My parents immediately after my sister's birth stripped me of my diploma and sent me to the Academy City. They had written the papers so I was forced to remain in remedial school. It was only around 5 years ago that they sent me the papers in this brief-case. By that time I had found friends I both wanted to remain with and acquired my ability, so I had hidden the brief-case for future use. Apparently that had been for the best. I closed the brief-case, diploma still in hand, and walked back into the living-room. I set the paper on the small coffee table and pulled an untouched phone book out from underneath it. I set it on the table and began flipping through the contacts. I paused with my hand as I passed the schools section. There, third from the top, was Tokiwadai. I tore the number out of the phone book and walked over to the telephone. I picked up the receiver and looked at the number. Should I want to back out, this was my one and final chance. I thought of the peace I had attained, and the friends I had waiting for me at the remedial school. I thought of Kamijou and Index, Tsuchikimado and Blue-Hair-san, but then my mind fell on Ray. I then realized the truth: I was doing this for myself. A life away from Ray would be torture. I began dialing the number and waited for it to dial. I heard a woman's voice.

"Hello, this is Tokiwadai Middle High! Please state your request and I will route you to the correct branch." she said.

"This is Luke Walker, inquiring about the open teaching position in your English classes."

"That will be Administrations. Please hold." the voice said.

I waited and listened to the spotty music playing over the phone. I heard a click, then a loud thud.

"Ah! I'm sorry, I'm new at this job, and I-", a girl frantically rambled.

"It's alright. I need to speak to the Principal...?"

"I'm sorry...you need to speak to the Principal?", she repeated.

"Yes. It's about the teaching position." I replied.

"Oh...oh dear. Can I have your credentials, so I can do a background check?" the girl said calmly.

So, she had finally settled down. "About that...all I have is a diploma."

"I see. I'm sorry, but you aren't qualified to become a teacher in our esteemed school-", she began speaking, but I cut in.

"Level 5."

"Umm...excuse me?" She asked in a puzzled tone.

"What if I'm a Level 5? How does that change the scenario?" I asked.

"I'm honestly not sure. I guess it would depend on the Principal's decision. Let me page her and ask." She said and then I heard the click. Then more annoying music began playing. It suddenly stopped and the girl spoke again.

"She said come over as soon as possible. Is that all you need?"

"Yes, thank-you. Have a great afternoon?" I asked, before the girl hung up. New secretary, I guess.

I tossed the phone on the counter and walked over to my room. Opening the closet, I pushed all of my normal clothes to one side. There, tucked on the far left side of the clothing rod, was my row of suits. All business suits given to me by Judgment for the funeral. I shook my head to clear those thoughts away and took one of the suits off the rod. Laying it on my bed, I cleared my thoughts. I needed to prepare for the interview.

I walked up to the Administration Building of Tokiwadai. After being routed around the school twice, I understood just how elite this school was. More than two acres in size, this place almost had it's own streets. I walked up to the door and waited to be buzzed in. The door's light turned green and I opened the door. Walking inside revealed a warm, lightly colored room. A small girl was stretching while yawning at the desk. Her small frame was hidden mostly by the desk. I walked up to it as her head bobbed down. She remained down, so I stepped forward.

"Um...hello?" I asked as I leaned over the divider.

The girl was stretched out on her desk sleeping. I smiled and poked her in the back. She brushed it off, so I poked her again. She swatted my hand so I grabbed her shoulder.

She shot up while exclaiming. "I'm not asleep!"

You were totally asleep. I sighed then said. "I'm here for my appointment?"

She nodded while sliding out of her chair. "Yep. Come right this way."

Despite being small, she had the shape of a fully developed woman. Not to mention she was extremely well endowed. She yawned then muttered. "I need to sleep more. I'm always tired, nya~!" She yawned while stretching her arms high above her head. I glanced away from her chest as she glanced at me. "So, Mr. Walker, what makes you want to join our school? A desire to be with girls?"

"No; I merely want to teach in the best environment possible!" I said.

She smiled slyly before turning to face me. "You wanna know why I got the job as secretary here?"

"Sure, I guess." I said.

"Because I can sense emotions and lies. And, you, my dear Walker, are a terrible liar." she said. "It has something to do with that Ray-girl, doesn't it?"

"Yes...how did you guess?" I mumbled.

"Call it womanly intuition! Let me make a deal: you don't tell about me sleeping on the job, and I don't tell Grumpy lady you're here for your girlfriend."

"Deal." I complied without a second thought.

She led me up to double doors and knocked on them loudly.

"Ma'am, here's the 'Level 5 professor' here to see you." She said loudly. Then to me alone. "My name's Sakura. Ever want to have fun...you know where to find me."

She snickered at my blush as she walked away. I heard a voice say. "Come in."

So I did.

There were no lights on inside the room. There was a desk, with a large chair behind it. On the wall was a crystal viewing screen. The scenes playing on it brought my heart to a grinding halt: the previous night's escapades. I watched as Accelerator prepared to attack me and watched myself vanish. I continued watching the fight transpire, until the climatic end when Accelerator fell and I reappeared. The screen went black and the lights came back on. The Principal was sitting in her chair. She motioned for me to sit at the chair in front of her desk and I did.

"Well, I must admit I was surprised when I got your phone call this morning. The individual stirring up the Science world by defeating the unbeatable Accelerator. What do you call this ability of yours?" She asked in her serious tone.

"I call it the Breaker ability, ma'am." I said in the same tone.

"Tell me a little about the 'Breaker', Luke Walker."

"To sum it up in one sentence, it's the ability to break time."

"I don't want you to sum it up; tell me how it works."

"I'm able to activate it unconsciously. Whenever my ability turns on, my perception of speed increases exponentially along with my body. I'm basically able to move at speeds that are around half the speed of light."

"I see. You probably know that we at Tokiwadai have to hold a high degree of professionalism, and that all of our teachers are of the highest quality. I checked your IQ tests: You are a genius. But you lack all of the degrees that any normal teacher would need. The only thing you have going for you is your Level 5. Your presence would tip the scales in our favor. Before the addition of the Magnifying Ray, we had two of the Six known Level 5's; the Railgun and the Mental Out. If we add you, the Breaker, we will have 4 of the eight known Level 5's. The fame and power would be Tokiwadai's. Let me see your powers. Here's a stack of papers. I'll time you to see how long it takes." She pulled a stack of papers out and set them on the table along with a pen. As she pulled out a stopwatch, I snatched the glasses of my face and she froze. I picked the pen up and scooted the stack of papers in front of me. I began reading and filling out forms.

After around ten seconds in 'real-time', I finished the stack of papers. Mostly legal junk about school policies and promises to remain away from all the girls and not engage in less than appropriate behavior. I was fine with all of it. I set the papers in a nice stack and set the pencil on top. The principal had just pressed the button on the stop-watch. Nice. I put my glasses on. Time returned as the Principal said. "Start!"

"I'm done." I said.

She stared at me, then stopped the stop-watch. She picked up the papers and flipped through a couple. She set them down then sighed. Holding out her hand, she smiled sincerely.

"Welcome aboard, Mr. Walker. Unfortunately, because our last English teacher is still in his house, we will need to board you in with the older girls in their dorms. I trust you will not try anything and can avoid being seen with your Breaker, correct?"

I nodded and said. "I won't be seen before school starts, ma'am."

"Good. The secretary will show you where the dorms are. I assume you can find the third floor."

"Of course!"

"Also, about Ray..."

"Yes, ma'am."

"From what I've seen, she's been through some hard things this week. Try not to upset her anymore than possible. If you wouldn't mind, please try not to run into her before school starts next week."

"...of course, ma'am."

"I'll have the secretary give you the curriculum and the list of students. Try your best, Mr. Walker. I hope for great things."

I do as well, ma'am. I do as well.

"Oh, by the way..." The Principal spoke as I prepared to exit the room.

"Yes, ma'am?"

"I'll be having you duel Misaka Imouto next week. To show the world the power of the Breaker."

"Ah...I see."

"That's all!"

I turned and left the room. Sakura met me halfway and told me where I needed to go. The school would arrange to move all my things via teleporters. I was okay with it. I headed to the dorms after removing my glasses. Passing by girls frozen in my reality, I arrived at my dorm. I knew Ray was here, but I didn't know exactly where. I remembered the Principal's orders and headed to my room.

It was the room at the center of the hallway on the third-floor. I opened the door and found myself in a small room. It was bigger than my previous room, but not by much. I noticed the lack of showers and sighed. I would have to ask about that later. I sat down on the bed and glanced at my hands. I had come further in life. Not necessarily better, but further. I smiled softly and said. "I'm still here for you, Ray." Then I pulled out the papers and began preparing lessons for the next week. I had to admit, this was fairly easy. I had been an expert at grammar and English in school. Add on top the fact that I taught Ray English back at our old high-school, and you had the makings of a beginner teacher.

-1 Week Later-

I finished changing and hear my phone begin vibrating across the room. I mentally stopped repressing my abilities and everything froze. I walked over and checked the caller-identification. Good. It was Sakura. I pulled my glasses off the dresser and slipped them on before speaking.

"Well, Sakura, did you find out who handed my phone number to the girls? Or will the girls also find out about where I'm living as well?"

"I'm sorry about the leak in information! I don't know how your number got leaked to the girls and why they would prank-call you all the time!" She said frantically.

"It's okay. Now, I have classes to go teach." I sighed then hung up. I picked up my new, black brief-case filled with English papers and headed towards my door. I kicked the door open as I slid the glasses off my face. Time froze and the door stopped moving. I caught the door and closed it before heading down the stairs. I had ten minutes before classes started. I was good.

Turns out, most of Tokiwadai has a rule that school starts an hour before it actually does. Everyone was already up and started on their normal tasks. I had put my glasses on and already the girls were watching. I could understand in part their interest; I was probably the best prospective boy-friend material that had come along in years. I heard a couple of whistles and glanced over. A group of girls in P.E. outfits burst out giggling and hid. Ha. I walked up to the Teaching Halls and opened the doors. A burst of giggles met me as I tripped through the entryway. Some girls ran into their classrooms as I pushed myself back onto my feet. Were these girls playing around or challenging me?

So be it; I had already announced the fact that I was a Level 5, so now I would prove it. I took off my glasses and time froze. I reduced my powers till the clock ticked normally. Then I began walking forward. A water balloon sailed through the air towards me at bullet speeds. I let my powers slip back in place and the balloon stopped. I hit it with my fist and it exploded. I began walking forward, past the balloon. I narrowed my powers like before and heard a collected gasp. I waited for another attack, but none came. I sighed and slipped my glasses back on. On cue, a balloon hurtled towards me. I sidestepped the balloon and turned towards a door. Opening it up, three girls fell out on the ground. They scrambled to their feet and ran back in the classroom. I waved at the old man who was their teacher. He noticed me and shook his head. I glanced at the clock. Less than a minute till class. I slipped my glasses off and sprinted towards the room where I was teaching.

I stopped in front of the room and put my glasses back on. The bell rang as I opened the door and stepped inside my classroom. The girls gathered at the front all swooned and gasped collectively. I glanced at the class register. A long list of names, of which I only knew two, was what I saw. I began walking down the row, marking attendance, when I heard a pencil drop. I bent down and picked it up. A chair scraped out noisily as a girl jumped out of her chair. Long, auburn hair and piercing brown eyes tinged by tears were what I noticed first. Only one person I knew had that hair, and it was the girl I had come here because of. She launched herself forward and wrapped me in a hug. I couldn't tell if she was crying or angry, but my arms slowly wrapped around her.

"So, does this mean I'm forgiven?"


	12. The Rival Appears

I heard the collected gasp from girls around me. They had all seen Ray's embrace. Damn. I slipped out of her arms and continued marking attendance. Another girl burst out of her chair.

"Luke! What the hell are you doing here!?" Misaka exclaimed.

"Teaching, obviously. Please sit down, Misaka-san." I finished marking off the last girl and walked back up to the front of the room. I set my brief-case onto the podium and pulled out a stack of papers. I began walking around, handing each girl one.

"This is a small quiz, to see exactly where each of you are academically in English. Don't worry; this has no affect on your grade." I said as I finished handing out the papers.

In reality, this quiz wasn't small or easy. It was more of a test for the girls. I wanted to see if any of them had the disposition of a leader. Most of the girls bit their lips and scrunched their brows as they scoured over the quizzes. Some glanced around at others, searching for answers. I heard a chair scrape out and turned to face the noise. Misaka was out of her chair, paper clutched in her fist.

"You're lying to us; I saw this on a college entry test."

"Wow, I'm surprised you would know where I got the questions. Now, can you guess why I assigned this seemingly-impossible task?" I said as I walked towards the front of the room. I wrote down the English word 'leadership' and underlined it three times. "Can anyone tell me what this word means?"

A girl in the middle row raised her hand slowly.

"Yes, Kiburashi-chan?" I asked.

"It means 'to lead others' or 'guide them'." Kiburashi said quietly.

"Yes! Now, that paper was meant to select prospective leaders from the group. The closest we came was with Misaka-san here. She stood up and confronted the problem. You will be the Class-Rep starting now."

"Huh?!" the entire class was shocked by my declaration.

"Does someone else have a better nominee?" I asked while glancing around the room.

No one immediately answered, so I wrote her name down on the chalkboard.

"Now that _that's_ out of the way, let's begin the real class." I said as I began writing the lesson on the board.

My morning flew past, and already I was packing my papers and the girls' assignments into my bag. I finished stacking the papers in an orderly fashion inside my brief-case and headed towards the door. I opened it and found myself facing Ray.

"Ah, hello, Ray-chan." I said while forcing a smile.

She pushed me back into the room with a shove then kicked the door shut behind her.

"What the hell are you doing here!? I want a real answer, not the dumb 'teaching' one." She said angrily.

"I came here because I was worried about you. Besides, I'm now getting paid to do what I did for you before." I said while setting my brief-case down. I took off my suit jacket and loosened my tie while Ray fumed. I glanced at her as I finished unbuttoning the top button of my dress shirt. "I'm ready for you now, Ray. Angry, are you?"

"Yes. Now burn, bastard!" She shouted. I slid the glasses off my face as I ran forward. A thin beam of light cut through the air next to my head, causing my skin to heat up. I kicked the hand the beam was coming from up, causing her woven beam to come apart. I slipped my glasses on as her other hand began moving up. I stopped with my hand on the center of her chest, all my fingers except my index finger curled into a fist to form a gun. She had her hand pointed at my forehead. I left my other hand on my glasses.

"I'd call this a stale mate. Can I go to lunch now?" I asked with a weary smile. She glared at me but lowered her hand.

"Be glad you're so damn fast." She said as I redid my buttons and tightened my tie. As I slipped my suit jacket on, she turned to me. "By the way, you're buying lunch for me as well, _Sensei_."

I grabbed my brief-case and headed towards the door. "Sure, whatever. I'm just getting a couple pork buns for my lunch. You sure you want that?"

"I hate you, you know that?" She mumbled as we headed down the hallway.

"Not my fault you hate pork buns. Tell you what, I'll let you buy peach buns if the lunch-lady is selling them." I said as we walked outside the Teaching Hall. The Dining Halls were in an adjacent building, but there were lunch ladies who peddled their wares out on the commons. We walked over to a nearby lunch-lady who was selling buns. I got two pork buns for myself and bought two peach buns for Ray. Her eyes lit up as I handed her the food. We sat down on a bench next to the Teaching Halls. I took a bite out of the pork bun. It tasted pretty good; they were far better than the ones my old high-school had sold. Ray turned towards me after gulping down one of the rolls.

"You have some crumbs on your cheek, Ray." I remarked casually as she prepared to speak. She turned a light pink then rubbed her cheeks furiously. I smiled as she missed a crumb. Leaning over, I lightly brushed the crumbs off. She blushed and swatted my hand aside.

"We need to discuss why you came here, Luke!" She said angrily.

"It's simple; I came here because I was bored without you. Life wasn't as interesting with you gone, so I applied here. Lo and behold, I signed up as a teacher and here I am." I said mockingly before taking another bite of my pork bun.

"You...damn...bastard...making fun of me!?" She shouted as she jumped off the bench. I knew what to expect, so my hand flew to my glasses. She prepared to torch me when a soft voice called out.

"Ah, Sensei...they just called you to the Office...along with Ray." Kiburashi said.

Ray paused as she saw the timid girl and then whirled on me. But, during her lapse in concentration, I had already stood up and walked over to Kiburashi.

"Thanks for telling me, Kiburashi-chan. Let's go, Ray." I remarked casually before taking another bite from my pork bun. Ray followed me, still fuming over my previous facade.

I walked into the Administration Building while Ray followed behind. Her previous anger gone, now she seemed slightly nervous. I walked up to Sakura's desk and leaned over it. She was asleep again.

"Sakura, wake up?" I said as I poked her.

She shifted and pointed at the Principal's office. "Old grump wants to talk. I'm going back to sleep." She rolled back over as I began walking towards the Principal's.

"That lady...?" Ray began to form a question.

"Just a business acquaintance." I said as I opened the doors and walked into the Principal's office.

The old lady was sitting in her chair, facing the door as we walked in.

"Ah, Mr. Walker and Ray-san! Come in and sit down!" She said enthusiastically. I walked forward along with Ray and sat down. "I need to talk to you two about a number of things. First off, the hugging incident this morning. I assume that was a slip of thought on both of yours' part?"  
"Yes, ma'am." We both said at nearly the same time.

"Great! Then I'm guessing your fight in the classroom was also a small squabble as well?" She said in a more serious tone.

"Yes, ma'am. I overreacted." We both said at the same time. I glanced at Ray as she did the same.

"Okay! Now, we can move on to more...serious business, if I may. I remember that both of you had a fateful encounter of sorts with an individual concerning the Sister Project."

Now it was our turn to sit there in shock. I was the first to regain my composure.

"Yes, ma'am. If you are talking about Accelerator, both of us have fought him on that occasion." I said in a level tone.

"Good; you know who I'm talking about. What if I told you an amazing fact concerning Accelerator? What would your reactions be?" The Principal said with a small smile.

"I'm sure...I could handle it." I said with a small, forced smile. Ray sat next to me silent.

"Hahahaha! That's great! The gaijin that beat me is here as a teacher!" a voice shouted from the back corner. That voice drove a chill through my spine as I spun out of my chair. I heard another chair clatter to the ground; I assumed Ray had also abandoned her chair. There, standing in the corner, was Accelerator. I gritted my teeth as I fought to keep my anger down. Ray was less willing than me to hold on. A beam of light materialized in the air, burning a path towards Accelerator. It ricocheted off his shields, burning the wall.

"That's enough!" The Principal shouted as Ray prepared to launch another attack. I shook my head and turned towards the Principal.

"What's he doing here, ma'am?" I asked. I felt another heat surge, as Ray launched another beam at Accelerator. It bounced off his shields and lit the wall on fire. The alarm sounded and the Principal pulled a fire extinguisher from under her desk. She put the fire out then pointed at Ray.

"Go to your next class _now_!" She said in a commanding tone. I prepared to block Ray's attack, but none came. Ray turned towards the door and left. "Now that we've gotten rid of that nuisance, let's continue. Accelerator is here to sign up as our new Math Teacher."

"But-!?" I started to shout, when Accelerator stepped past me and laid papers on the desk.  
"My diploma in College Algebra, Advanced Algebra, Trig, and Calculus. I hate to say this, but I'm more qualified than you to teach, Breaker." He gave me a harsh smile then headed towards the door.

I followed him out, despite the Principal's attempts to stop me. I took off my glasses and ran in front of him. I stopped and slipped my glasses on. He paused and looked at me.

"What do you want? I have a class to teach." Accelerator said.

"What are your intentions, being here?" I said in a tone that dripped venom.

"I'm here to learn more about Ray. Also, because I had my house trashed after a certain someone beat me. Besides, you've already been friend-zoned by Ray. It's painstakingly obvious to anyone on the outside looking in. Now, let me past." He passed me, leaving me standing there in shock. Sakura walked up behind me, yawning.

"You know, he is right about the friend-zone thing..." She mused before I could walk out. I turned away as a different pain entered my chest. I needed to keep Ray and him apart. At all costs.

I finished classes that evening and began making preparations to head home when the intercom turned on. "All classes, report to the Training Field." The automated voice said, before clicking off.

I looked around at all my students, who were watching me.

"You heard the orders! Get going!" I said, waving at them. They all left in a chorus of giggles. Damn, I already hated the giggling of the middle school girls. I picked up my bag and headed to the field. I saw around twenty classes scattered around the huge field. Whatever. I headed over to my class and sat down on the grass. I wasn't going to stand for whatever was going on.

"Misaka Mikoto amd Mr. Walker, please take the field." The automated voice spoke again. There was a bit of confusion as I stood up and removed my suit jacket. Misaka walked onto the field, looking puzzled. I folded my suit jacket and set it on top of my brief-case. I walked towards the field as the Principal's voice came from the speakers.

"Today, we will have Mikoto Misaka, Tokiwadai's own Ace, battle Mr. Walker as an intitiation ceremony. The match starts...now."

I glanced at Misaka and said. "Want to go easy on me? I've had a long day and really just want to go to sleep."

A sudden boom deafened my ear, as she shot a coin that cut through the air by my ear. My hair and shirt rippled in the wind created by the flying projectile.

"I'll take that as a no, then?" I said while wincing. She flipped a new coin into the air as I slid my glasses off.

(Ray's Perspective)

I watched as Luke slipped his glasses off. He vanished as the coin cut through the air. He appeared with his fist inches from Misaka's throat. Misaka glanced down and saw him. She shot lightning everywhere, as Luke vanished again. He appeared in the air above her, foot posed to smash down. Misaka stepped back, blocking his kick. She started to channel lightning through her hands, and I winced. I knew how painful that electricity was. I felt a hand rest on my shoulder.

"Hey, Ray."

I gasped and whirled. There was Accelerator, leaning on the tree behind me. He pushed off the tree and walked up next to me.

"How's your boyfriend doing?" He asked in a casual tone.

"He's not my boyfriend! Why are you here?!" I said frantically, praying Luke didn't notice.

"That's good; I was wondering what your relationship with _Mr. Walker_ was. I'm here because I'm interested in what all you remember from before. When we were kids, we knew each other, right?"

I gasped as he said that. He had remembered. "Ah...I'm not sure, I just know we were friends then."

"I see. Can I ask you to come tell me more tomorrow at lunch? I'd be interested in catching up on the past." He smiled at me and I felt something stir inside. I found my voice and spoke.

"Ah, sure! I'll be glad to!"

I pulled my leg free of Misaka's hands, but not before she ran electricity through it. I jumped back before my leg collapsed. My leg was all pins and needles. She glanced down and I realized she could still sense me. Black dust flew from the ground, forming into a long blade in her hand. I forced myself to stand as she swung the black blade at me. It cut a perfect line through the ground where I had been sitting. She paused until I dimmed my ability. She saw me and swung at me. I ducked under the blade and punched at her stomach. I paused a hairs-breadth away, as she stopped her strike. I reached into my pocket with my free-hand and put them back on.

"A tie?" I asked.

"Yes, sensei." She said before turning to walk away.

I paused, then tossed a pink bra on the ground. "Think you're forgetting something?"

She glanced down at it, then felt herself. Blushing a dark red, she grabbed the bra and ran towards the dorms. I shook my head and turned towards my brief-case. It was where I had left it. As I walked over and began putting on my coat, one of the girls spoke.

"When did you take off her bra? I was watching the entire time; I never saw it happen." There was a chorus of agreements, as I finished putting on my coat.

"You shouldn't have; I was moving faster than her lightning when I did it. I'll see you fine girls tomorrow in class, correct?" I said as I picked up my briefcase.

"Hai, Sensei!" they all said before running off to join their friends. I shook my head lightly before taking off my glasses. I began walking towards my room, passing frozen girls and objects.

As I walked onto my floor, I noticed another door open. What? I walked over to the door, slipping on my glasses. I heard the sounds of moving furniture and foot-steps. I walked inside the room, and found myself face-to-face with the worst possible thing.

"Hi, Luke-san." Accelerator said with a smug grin, as he sat down on his bed.


	13. Shower Interrogation

"What are you doing here!?" I shouted.

"Simple; they didn't have a place for me to live, so they housed me here. You're my room-mate, right?" he smiled as he began arranging the few belongings he had into the room.

"Hell no! I'm going to call the Principal and see what the hell she was thinking!" I exclaimed and began storming towards my room. I paused when he waved at me.

"Quick point, Luke: there are girls living downstairs. If you don't want curious girls coming up here, I'd suggest being quiet. Just a hint between friends, nay?" he said in a stinging, mocking tone, as I closed the door softly.

I walked over to my room and walked inside. Closing my door and locking it behind me, I walked over to the phone and picked it up. Dialing the direct line to the Principal, I sat and waited for her to pick up.

She beat me to the punch, as she said. "If this is about Accelerator, don't worry! He's living there temporarily, just like you. He will leave after a new home opens up. And don't worry about him blowing your cover; we already know he can travel by teleporter."

Wow. She had just answered every question I could possibly accuse her of without a single flaw. Damn, she was good at her job. But I still had one concern.

"I'm wondering about the hygiene issue. Where can I...we bathe?" I asked wearily. I knew Accelerator wouldn't ask stuff like this, so I was asking for him.

"Ah...we are still working out that small issue." the Principal said in a weary tone.

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"Our girls are free to use the shower and bathroom facilities at whatever time they have free. Suddenly banning them from entering at certain times will spark the interest of every girl here. And we can't risk having the girls find out about you two's presence in their dorms. If that got out, there would be a scandal and I might lose face."

"Well, we need to shower some time." I said wearily.

"Well, the Secretary has been going through the times and camera records, and found something interesting."

Camera records...that seemed a little bit illegal, but I opted not to touch the topic too much. "What is it?" I asked.

"No girls go through the showers between the times of 12:00A.M. and 1:00 A.M. It's been consistent through the last sixteen weeks. Do you want to risk it?"

"Fine; I'll take it. I'll go see if Accelerator is interested." I said before hanging up.

"So, you want to take a shower with me? That's flattering, but I'll have to object; I don't bend that way." He grinned at me as my anger flared.

"I was only offering to let you come with me, bastard!" I spat angrily, making sure to keep my tone quiet.

"I know; you are just like Ray, anger flaring like the sun. It's easy to play with." He said as he sat up.

"Shut up. I'm more controlled than Ray." I said while glancing to the side.

"And you are just as bad at hiding being embarrassed. Do you blush like her?" He said, voice suddenly a lot louder. I glanced up and found him standing directly in front of me. I stumbled back and crashed onto the ground, He closed his eyes and winced. "That was well coordinated."

"Shut up. You startled me!" I shouted as I stood up. We heard a creak outside, and both of us immediately turned quiet. Damn, someone was here. I glanced at Accelerator and motioned towards the closet. He needed no prompting, somehow ghosting his way silently into his closet to hide. How he did it, I had no idea. I reached up and pulled off my glasses. I felt time slow as I walked towards the door. I opened it and glanced around. There was no one. I sighed and began to head back in when I sensed something. Glancing up, I saw a girl hanging on the ceiling. Whoa. I shut Accelerator's door and locked it. Then I headed over to my room and walked inside before locking the door. Then I laid down on my bed and fell asleep.

Three hours later I woke up. Glancing at my alarm clock, I realized only three minutes had passed. Damn, I loved my ability. I stood up and walked over to the door. Opening it, I glanced out. The girl was still there, attempting to pick the lock. Wow. I walked over and flipped her skirt. Then I walked over to my bedroom and put on my glasses. I heard a shriek and gasp. Then a sudden burst of steps down the stairs leading to the second floor. Great; the girl was gone. I stood up and walked out. Knocking lightly on Accelerator's door, I waited for a reply.

"Hey, you awake in there?" I asked quietly.

"Yeah, I've been standing behind you the entire time." he said from behind me.  
I whirled and went to brace myself on the door. But the door opened behind me and I tripped over a string. I almost fell on the ground, but he caught me before I fell.

"Hah! Your face was priceless! Did you honestly think I was behind you!?" he choked out as he laughed like a maniac.

"How the hell did you do that?" I muttered, as I put up a hand for Accelerator to pull me up.

His eyes widened, but he still grabbed my hand and pulled me up. "You trust me that much? I could instantly kill you by reversing your blood-flow."

"I didn't think of that." I said sourly as I stood up.

"I thought as much. But still, why trust me after we fought over the Sister Project?" he asked. I thought, based on his tone, that he was honestly intrigued.

"Because we are fellow teachers at this 'fabulous' institution. What more of a reason do I need?" I said before sitting down on his bed.

He glared at me but sat down next to me. "I see you still have little respect for a gaijin. But that will come with time. Do you ever want to be on my angry side?" The last question was asked with an odd tone and an off smile.

"If I was?" I asked with an equally level smile.

"The coroners would have a hard time recognizing you. What time were we supposed to go to the showers, anyway?"

"After 12A.M., before 1:00A.M." I replied.

"Fine. Wake me up for the opening. Just make sure not to touch me...it may get ugly." He laughed and I joined with him laughing. Both of us knew how damaging it was for someone to startle a Level 5. Especially when waking said Level 5 up.

It was 5 minutes after midnight, as I rolled out of my bed. I had slept for around 16 hours in my slowed time, and now I was restless. I walked into the hallway and over to Accelerator's room. I opened the door and walked inside. He was asleep in his bed. I pulled a pencil out of my pocket and threw it at him. It flew through the air before hitting his vectors. It spun back, burying itself in the wall next to my head. He sat up groggily, then shook his head, clearing his mind.

"Did you throw something at me?" he asked, glancing at me.

"Nothing. It was nothing." I said with a forced smile. As I turned, I glanced at the pencil. It was buried inside the wall. That would've been fatal, had it been me instead of the wall. Nice. "Gather your stuff and follow me downstairs. I'll be forward guard; you follow in my steps, okay?"

"What?", he asked in a curious tone.

"God, I hate people who don't have basic military knowledge! You've never been in any operation before, have you?" I said with an angry sigh.

"Nope; why would I be in any?" he asked in a puzzled tone.

I realized I had snapped at Accelerator in the exact way I would've to Ray four years ago. Immediately after 'that' incident. Damn, was I relapsing? I shook my head then said. "I'll lead, you follow. If I motion with a fist, you stop. If I wave with an open hand, that means come forward. Okay?"

"Seems simple enough. Let me gather my stuff." he said as he rolled out of bed. He began grabbing his towels and shampoo, throwing them into a small bowl he had. "Ready to go?" He asked.

"Yes. Follow me." I said and then headed for the stairs.

We made it to the stairs before I motioned for him to stop. I took off my glasses then jumped down. The impact was loud, but that was in my time. It would sound like someone sneezing in real-time. I glanced down the dimly lit hallway. No one was out...but that could change at any moment. I began repressing my powers, causing time to speed up. Within seconds I was back to normal time, sweating slightly from concentration. I turned towards Accelerator and motioned with an open hand. He stepped directly on the center of the step, and I winced. It would make noise; it was for sure. But, his foot stopped a breadth above the wood as he ghosted through the air. For the second time, I wondered how much farther along this guy was than me. He could pull out awesome skills, while all I could do was slow down my perception of time. He ghosted up behind me then looked at me with raised eyebrows.

"How much farther?" he mouthed silently.

"I'm not sure. Let's get going...gah!" I turned towards the hall and saw the top of a girl's head. Damn! I let go of my powers, as Accelerator paled in shock. I grabbed him, ignoring the bad feelings running through me, and pressed him against the wall in front of me. Pressed against one another, we were barely hid by the pillar holding up the ceiling. I saw Accelerator's shock, and prayed he didn't decide to kill me. I was still alive, but that could be easily remedied by a slight push on Accelerator's part. I took a deep breath then glanced over the hallway column. The girl was barely onto the floor, frozen in time and moving like melting ice. I allowed my powers to lessen, and she sped up. I watched as she headed towards her room and walked in. I sighed, collapsing against the wall. Then I realized who was underneath me. I pulled away in shock, as I choked out an apology.

"I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to-!?" I began exclaiming.

"Shut-up!" He hissed at me as his hand clamped over my mouth. He glanced at the doors, then shook his head. "I'll admit; no guy has had the audacity to feel me up before. Could you really be gay?"

"In your messed up nightmares, maybe!" I spat at him then began walking towards the stairs again.

We made it to the showers with no further 'incidents'. As we walked into the showers, he cast a sideways glance at me and jokingly spoke.

"Wanna share showers? Seeing as how zealous you were when you felt me up..." He grinned as I shot a glare at him. Then he frowned and said. "Do you feel like someone's watching you?"

"No...what do you feel?" I lied through my teeth, remembering the Principal's previous mention of the cameras.

"Nothing, I guess. I'll take a shower on this half of the room; you use that one." He said, proceeding to get undressed. I had to admit, I felt a little awkward getting undressed with another person in the room, even if they were of the same sex. I heard his shower turn on and assumed I was free. I began taking off my shirt when I sensed something behind me. I tore my shirt off over my head then whirled on the feeling. There was a girl, dressed only in a towel. There was an entourage of girls behind her, dressed in approximately the same amount of clothing. I could feel my heart sinking as I realized they had all seen me. My hands began wandering towards my glasses, as the girls stared at me. Suddenly, all the girls' gazes got distant, with the exception of the girl in the lead. She was now holding a remote. I realized instantly who it was as I got a look at her face.

"Shokuhou-san!" I exclaimed, as she smiled at me.

"Hello, sensei! I was just coming to take a shower with my friends, and what should I find except you and Accelerator-sensei in here. That's against protocol, I might add." She said with that nice little smile on her face. Made me want to punch her, to be honest.

"So, what do you want?" Accelerator said. He was still taking his shower, undaunted by the group of girls. He was forged of steel, obviously.

"I want you two to represent me in the upcoming Underground." She said in a triumphant tone, as if she was rewarding us. Silence reigned as Accelerator turned off his shower. He stepped out, dressed only in a towel, to stare at Shokuhou.

He suddenly spoke. "What do you want, Mental-Out? If you just wanted us to obey you and attend the Underground, you could have ordered us with your ability."

"That's true, Accelerator. But, I want both you and the Breaker to willingly follow my request. You see, I can't replace fighting strength mentally, What's yours must remain there. And I don't want to disrupt you two's ability to fight."

"What's in it for us?" Accelerator asked, crossing his arms.

"Easy; you get a chance to battle Ray in a one-on-one free-for-all. She's already signed up for Tokiwadai, along with Misaka. That fills the two-person quota any private group can submit. That's why I'm requesting you two to fight for me."

"I'll admit...that's very tempting." Accelerator said with a small smile.

"What's in it for me?" I asked with a weary sigh.

"Do you remember Dante? He'll be there, to fight the Champion." She said with a small smile.

I suddenly flew forward, picking her up by the throat and slamming her into the wall. Her towel fluttered to the ground as I shouted. "Where the hell is that damn bastard!?" My anger was causing my blood to boil. She struggled to breathe, and the girls began waking up and looking around. Suddenly, something slammed into my side, and I flew across the room. I slammed into the tiles, and they cracked and then broke from the pressure of the impact. I fell out of the hole in the wall, and coughed twice before spitting out blood. Accelerator stood there, handing the fallen towel to the gasping girl.

"What the hell were you doing, bastard? She's one of your own damn students!" he shouted, forgetting where we were.

"I'm sorry; it's my fault for bringing up the name. He's had a huge traumatic shock in the past. I shouldn't have..." She stopped as she coughed a couple times, then resumed speaking,"...said anything. But that man will be there. This is your chance to prove to the world that he is real and did kill your friends. Do you want to take it or not?" She stopped speaking and looked at me, waiting for an answer.

"I can't say no...you know that, don't you?" I muttered as I stood up shakily. "I can't let him continue to live; he was and still is an abomination."

"What's the deal with this person?" Accelerator asked, anger lining his voice.

"He's an old acquaintance of mine. One I intend to erase. That's all you need to know." I muttered as I walked over to my stuff. "I'll fight for you; but only so I can fight Dante."

"In order to do that, all you need to do is win!" She said enthusiastically and then coughed.

"If he's in, I guess I'll go as well. I can't let the gaijin one-up me in anything." Accelerator spat as he turned to get dressed.

"Will you leave now so I can take my shower?" I asked quietly as I turned to face the showers.

"Of course. I'll adjust the girls' memories so there will be a reason for the hole in the wall. I'll also make them forget this meeting. I'll give you a paper with the address of the location for the Preliminaries later." Shokuhou said as she turned. She paused and then added. "Call me Misaki-chan, you two. After all, we'll be getting closer as time passes, right?" She grinned as she led her friends away.

"Wow, that was weird. Do you think the Principal will let us have the days off for the Underground?" Accelerator said as he finished dressing. He wrapped a towel around his white hair to absorb more of the water.

"It was...it was..." I muttered as I began undressing. Her words had brought back terrible memories I would have preferred to keep inside. Dante...that name still filled my entire mind with fear. I lashed out at those people in the therapy center when they mentioned his name; a defense mechanism I myself had gained somehow. But, I finally had the chance to prove he was a real person, with real abilities. Finally, my comrades had a chance to rest in peace. I turned on the shower and stood under the cold water. I let it run over my face, allowing my thoughts to flee. I quickly finished showering and dried off. While I was getting dressed, Accelerator spoke.

"About this 'Dante'...want to tell me about him?" He asked in a curious tone.

"I don't want to talk about him, Accelerator." I muttered as I pulled my shirt on over my head.

"On a different note, you know martial arts, right?" Accelerator said as he lifted his hand to the ceiling.

"I do...why?" I said as I began gathering my shower items together.

"I want to learn some martial arts. You beat me with some pretty fancy moves; I want to be able to use them. I learned abilities aren't everything in our little fight. So, would you be willing to teach me?" he asked as he picked up his bag.

"I can't see why not; I'll show you some basics...but you'll need to turn off your ability while we do it." I said as I headed towards the door.

"I can do that easily enough. When would you be willing to teach me?" he asked as he followed.

"Sometime later this week?" I mumbled then motioned up with my hand. "Silence now; we need to make it back to the rooms."

We made it to the rooms with no further problems. He headed to his room to rest up more while I walked over to my room. I had slept a long time, so now I was barely tired. I laid out the papers from the previous day and began checking papers by the light of my lamp.

The girls here were well educated; I found few mistakes. One of the only times I had to take the cap off my red pen was when I was checking Ray's paper. Unfortunately, she was as bad at English as she had been before. I sighed and shook my head as I wrote her score down. Barely passing. I had her scoring better when she had been under my tutoring. I'd probably need to do it again. Not that I would mind; after all, she was my dear friend.

I finished checking papers and glanced at the clock. 4:00AM. Drat. I still had three hours before school started. I might as well head to the Principal's office to talk about the Underground...


	14. Building Stress

I walked up to the Administrations Building. The street lights were the only source of light; they cast eerie shadows on the sidewalk and building. I walked up to the door and pressed the page button. Nothing. I pressed it again. Figures. Everyone would be in bed at this time of the morning. I started to turn away when the red light turned green. Someone had unlocked the door. I pulled open the glass door and walked inside the building. No signs of life at the Secretary's desk. Strange. I began walking towards it when the overhead speaker clicked on.

"Mr. Walker, I'm waiting for you in my office." the Principal's voice crackled over the speakers, before they clicked off. I frowned, glanced at the desk again, before walking over to the Principal's office.

She was seated at her desk, sorting through papers. I walked in and she glanced up.

"Good. I heard your conversation with Accelerator and Shokuhou-san. I'm afraid I can't let you participate in the Underground." She said, cutting right to the chase.

"I'm afraid not letting me isn't an option. Since you were watching, I assume you heard about Dante as well." I said in a low, level tone. Saying that name sent chills and bad feelings through my system.

"We both know that Judgement did a large-scale search of Academy City for your so-called Dante, and found nothing! The case reports only have two things; the pictures of the bodies and your statement as evidence. There were no signs that anyone else had been in that building. 'Dante' is a figment of your imagination, created to hide your own inner rage!" Her voice rose to a shout at the end, as she slammed a portfolio down in front of me. I read the words on it and looked up at her.

"Why...why did you bring this out in front of me?" I asked in a strangled tone. There, in the portfolio, were the psychologists' reports about my mental state after Case #773. They had, based on the evidence and my state, written me off as unfit for service and stripped me of my rank and job. They had even considered putting murder charges on me. I had pleaded with them to let me go, that I could find Dante. But they hadn't . They had left me in that padded cell for a month, until they declared me mentally stable. I still shivered as I remembered those uncaring eyes, the probing minds, and the hurtful words of those psychologists.

"Because I needed to see how well prepared you were to face the threats of the Underground. Had I not seen this folder or heard the name 'Dante', it wouldn't have changed my mind. What decided this was your reaction towards Shokuhou-san. There was no call for that. You didn't even acknowledge the pain and fear in her eyes as you strangled her. That's no way for a teacher to behave. Not even an uneducated boor should act that way." She muttered as she turned away from me.

I stood up and began walking towards the door. "Then I'll be turning in my resignation papers later this morning."

"You can't do that! It's just a piece of your past your mind created! It shouldn't play such a big role in your life!" The Principal's voice met me as I began opening the door.

I paused with the door partly open. "You don't understand. My past is what haunts my every living moment. I can barely live with what happened that day. You know how they found Mika-chan, right? Torn in half and beaten beyond recognition! I had to watch as they all died...you expect me to walk away when I have a chance to bring justice to my fallen comrades?"

"No. I suppose I don't. Fine. You'll be allowed to join in the Underground and remain here as a teacher. I only have one request." The Principal said.

"And that is?" I asked, still poised at the door.

"Don't hurt Ray or Misaka-san. They are both like daughters to me; I'd hate to see anything happen to them." She spoke, and a tinge of emotion touched the edge of her voice.

"I'll try not to. If they come between me and the prize...no guarantees." I muttered as I walked through the door.

I passed the secretary's desk and paused. Then I walked over and glanced over the edge. There was Sakura, sleeping soundly in a very tight pair of pajamas. I guessed they had been made for children her height, but the original design hadn't been intended to encompass a chest the size she had. I glanced away from her tight outfit and looked at the computer. On it was something strange. A camera file was copying to a different directory. I leaned over the desk and grabbed the mouse. The file suddenly was canceled by an outside source, but I already memorized the name. I opened the search program and typed in the name, then clicked search. It began sifting through the camera files, until it stopped with around ten hits. I started the first, and found myself watching a bunch of girls in a locker room. I slammed down on the close key, shutting down the file. I thought back to the appearance of the locker room. It seemed to float somewhere in my memory. Suddenly, it clicked. _It couldn't be. _I clicked the next file, ignoring the girls taking showers and looked closely at the locker room. Then it dawned on me and my worst nightmare was fulfilled; _That had been the same locker room Accelerator and I had been in._ I began opening the camera files one by one, closing the ones with only girls in them. I stopped when there was only one remaining. I could feel the sweat running down my back as I opened it. The video began playing, but no one was there. I began to sigh in relief when two people walked in. Accelerator and I. Oh crap. This was bad. Very bad. I took a deep breath and closed the file. Someone had been hacking the system. I started to move when something soft pressed down on my shoulder.

A small whisper entered my ear. "I was worried when you started watching the video feeds, but figured out what you were looking for after a while. See anything you like?"

I almost died from shock as Sakura bit my ear. I had thought she was asleep, but here she was, leaning on my shoulder. She let go of my ear and kissed my cheek. I tried to make my rapidly beating heart slow down, as Sakura whispered. "Want to have some fun? It's only 4:30; we could be 'finished' before 6AM." She breathed on my neck, which made me shiver. I realized I smelled, only so faintly, the scent of alcohol. So that was it.

"I'm sorry; I have to go get ready for my classes. Maybe later?" I slid out from under Sakura's arm with a weary smile. She frowned at me as I walked towards the door slowly. She waved goodbye when I did the same.

I left through the door, leaving that detrimental situation behind. I mean, she was nice on the eyes...and extremely soft on the skin; but, had the Principal walked in, I would be kissing this job goodbye. Not worth an hour of happy times, for sure. I shook my head as I headed back towards the dorm. As I began walking inside, I realized I still had my glasses on. I glanced up and found myself facing a group of girls getting dressed for early jogging. This last assumption was based solely on their outfits. They looked at me, standing there, as I looked at them. One of the girls finally spoke.

"Sensei, what do you need?" She asked in a curious tone.

"Ah...I need to speak to Misaka-san. Would you call her down here for me?" I asked in what I hoped was an official voice.

The girls all began chattering as the girl I had asked ran back into the dorms. They were sneaking looks at me and whispering as well. The girl came back down, followed by a very disoriented and ruffled Misaka, still dressed in fuzzy pajamas. I gave her attire the once-over and commented.

"Nice. Get it from the kids' department?"

"Wha-what?! You told me it was important, but didn't say who!" Misaka shouted at the girl, who ducked her head with a mischievous smile. The girls headed out for their jog, as Misaka led me inside. She pulled me into the kitchen and made me sit down. Then she left to change. I stood up and fixed a pot of coffee. I was lightly sipping a hot mug of coffee when she made her second appearance. This time she was dressed in her uniform. She sat down across from me and took a deep breath.

"What did you need, Luke?" She asked in a level tone.

"Do you want me to be honest?" I asked in an equally level tone.

"Of course."

"Are you hiding anything from me?" I asked, changing gears. I hoped she would confess about the Underground participation. But what I heard next startled me.

"I-I told Ray not to do it, but she's adamant about going with him." Misaka stuttered as she glanced away from me. Now, this was news to me.

"I see. She's going with _who_ now?" I asked in an icy tone as I leaned forward in my chair.

"Ah...crap." Misaka mumbled, realizing she had spoken of something I hadn't known. She looked at me and then behind me. She paled as she slid her chair back. "She's going...with him." She pointed at someone behind me, and I could feel a chill wash over me. But it was a familiar chill, one that I felt whenever around that 'guy'.

I turned in my chair, still holding my mug of coffee, to face Accelerator. "So, you're already engaging in 'flirtatious' activity with the students, _Mr. Accelerator_?" I asked.

"I can't recall signing any papers that forbid me from talking to students and tutoring them, Luke. But if you wanna take us there, why are you here, alone, with a student at this hour of the morning. Just 'chatting'?" Accelerator stepped past me, heading towards the coffee. I watched his back as he poured his cup of coffee. He turned back towards me and took a long sip. "Ah, that's good coffee. Now, where were we?"

"Where are you taking Ray?" I spoke coldly, setting my coffee down on the counter as I stood up.

"I'm not honor-bound to tell you, am I?" Accelerator said in his annoying, scratchy voice.

My patience snapped and I started to go for my glasses as Accelerator began setting his coffee down.

A sudden, trembling voice stopped both of us. We both glanced at Misaka, but she was silent in her chair. "Senseis...please stop."

I suddenly recognized the voice: Kiburashi-san. I turned around and faced her.

"Kiburashi-san, good morning! Accelerator-san and I were having a bit of a harsh morning, and-" I began speaking, but the girl spoke over me.

"I'm sorry, Sensei, but you and Accelerator-san need to take your arguments and coffee to the Teacher's Lounge. This dormitory is only opened to teachers at 6:00am, and it's currently 4:45am. Please leave now." Kiburashi said in a small, trembling voice as she pointed at the door.

Accelerator and I stood there in shock until he chuckled, a short, disturbing sound.

"Never thought I'd be ordered out by the most timid girl in Advanced Math. Great job, Kiburashi." Accelerator said as he walked out. I followed him and glanced back. Kiburashi collapsed against the edge of the kitchen doorway, trembling. Misaka ran over to help her. Good. I walked outside and glanced around. Accelerator was gone. That was strange. I began walking down the sidewalk when he struck.

If Accelerator told me he had never had martial arts lessons, I would've have called him a liar...and bastard, for good measure. He suddenly appeared in front of me, using some sort of move to teleport forward. He lashed out with a punch, driving it into my gut. If it had been his muscle alone driving the punch home, I would've remained standing. But include his vectors and his strength triples exponentially. I flew backwards, striking the brick wall. I felt dust come off the bricks around me and rain down from above as I fell away from the wall. I coughed and struggled to catch my breath as he knelt next to me.

"So, Luke, what were your plans?" He asked in an off-tone.

I went for my glasses, but already his foot was smashing into my side. I smashed into the wall sideways and collapsed onto the pavement. Here, now, I was powerless. I looked up through bleary eyes as Accelerator walked towards me. I forced myself to stand and move, but my steps were shaky and my balance all but gone. I managed to run fourteen feet before falling to the ground. He walked up behind me and grabbed my shirt.

"Well,_ gaijin_, what was your brilliant plan?!" He shouted, as he threw me backwards. I hit the ground, rolling and crashing to a stop fifteen feet away. My entire body was on fire now. I closed my eyes shut as pain ran through my entire body. I finally opened them up, in time to see a foot flying towards my face. When that hit...it was over. I closed my eyes, cursing my luck. His foot hit my glasses, causing them to crack and slip off as his foot ground into my face...and then time froze.

I realized that I was still very much alive as I opened my eyes. The impact from the slight tap has slid me another four feet away, but it hadn't done too much damage. The thing that had been hurt the worst were my glasses. Hanging suspended in the air, the glass inside the lenses had been cracked and spider-webbed out. It could have been worse as I forced myself to stand and retrieve them. I touched the glasses gingerly. The lenses didn't crumble into dust, but that was little reassurance to me. I folded them into my pocket as I walked towards the dormitories. I walked inside, headed towards a certain room, and, inside that room, a certain item. I walked back outside, now holding the old push-broom. By now my pain had subsided a little, and Accelerator was still kicking thin-air. I suppressed my powers and he completed his kick, stumbling forward. He glanced around, puzzled, then turned.

"You bastard." He hissed as he saw the broom. He ran forward, using his vectors to increase the speed of the run. I let my powers flow back slightly and he slowed down tremendously. I ran forward, sliding the broom down to ankle height. He hit it and tripped slowly through the air. I let my powers flow back, as he crashed into the ground and rolled once. He stood up and glared at me. "You have a problem with Ray and I, you'll face me about it. Don't go playing a hero; your turn has come and gone, Luke." He muttered, as I glared at him. He turned and walked towards the Teaching Halls. I walked over to the fountain and looked at myself. I had a bloody nose and my chin was slightly bruised. I guessed it would take around fourteen hours for the bruise to fade away. I let my powers snap back into place as I headed back to the Dormitories.

After laying in bed for around ten days in my time, I finally sat up and glanced at the clock. 5:30am. Goddammit. I was starving and the cafeteria still wasn't open for breakfast. My bruise had healed; only a small scar remained where I had been cut. I sighed and tried something different. If I could slow down my perception of time...why couldn't I speed it up? I focused on reversing my powers, but nothing happened. Of course it wouldn't work! I laughed at myself inside as I glanced at the clock. 6:15am. What the hell? I stared at the clock, then looked outside. The sun was coming up. It hadn't been just a couple seconds ago. What?! I jumped out of bed, changing my clothes to something clean. I slowed down time and ran downstairs. I sat down on the water fountain out by the dormitories and took a deep breath. Time to see if it really did work...I focused on reversing my powers, but this time left my eyes open. As I watched the doors to the dormitories, girls began racing out. It was ridiculous how fast they were moving. Then I realized: I had slowed down myself. I stood up and began walking towards the cafeteria, pulling out my shattered glasses and putting them on. They still worked, thank god. I walked inside the cafeteria and went to the line of girls waiting for breakfast. Most were chatting happily with their neighbors as they waited in line. I sighed and decided to 'speed up' the line.

I walked back from the cafeteria, full and ready to work. I took off my glasses and walked into the Dorms. Girls who were late getting up had been rushing around, though now they were frozen. I passed them and headed upstairs. I gathered my lesson plans and headed to the Teaching Hall. I glanced at the clock as I passed; 6:45. I had an hour and fifteen minutes before classes started. I slowly started to smile as I headed towards the door. I had time to plan my 'assault'.

I walked into my classroom and set my brief-case down. I walked back into the hallway and looked around. None of the other girls were here yet. I walked back into my classroom and began sorting through the papers. I picked out the assignments from my first class period that were graded and put them in a stack at the corner of my desk. I set all the other papers to the side before starting to leaf through the stack. I pulled out two particular papers. I glanced at the names twice; Misaka Mikoto and Magnifying Ray. Ugh, Ray's full name still bothered me. I wished a long time that she would get a normal name like the rest of society. But she was a free spirit. I wrote a small note on the edge of both girls' assignments and set them with the rest of the class's papers. I sighed again and lay down on my desk. It was getting harder the longer I waited; I could feel Dante's death at my fingertips but I was unable to skip my duties here. Otherwise I'd just fast-forward time like I had previously. I heard a shuffle from the door and glanced up. Two girls were stepping inside, chatting happily. I smiled and stood up.

"Good morning, Rika-chan and Eri-chan." I said as I walked over.

"Greetings, Sensei!" both girls said as they bowed slightly.

I nodded towards them in a show of respect before walking past them back out into the hallway. I watched as girls began filtering in from outside, heading towards their classes and going about their lives. As I watched, a small pang began to grow inside. I shook my head and turned back towards my class.

There are few things more awkward than being in a classroom surrounded by middle school girls without the defense of having to teach. My 'students' managed to force me into conversation, most of which was about what kind of girls I like. I tried to make it as vague as possible, but there were a few girls in the group that knew how to take a joke too far. They began listing names, trying to coax a confession out of me. I tried stalling for time, but it was a strategy doomed to fail.

My last couple students walked in as I began muttering a name.

"Well, if you need a name, maybe...Misaka!" I exclaimed as I noticed the Railgun headed for her desk. There was a collective gasp around me as I walked towards her. "We need to talk."

"Sensei's already going for it!" exclaimed Eri, the cheerful brunette who was a level 4 telepath.

"No, idiot! I'm just talking to her about something else!" I glared at the brunette before setting Misaka's paper on her desk. She glanced at the message written in the corner of the paper and paled visibly. She tore it off and crumpled it in her palm as she looked at me.

"So, was that what 'this' morning was really supposed to be about?" Misaka muttered.

I nodded as I walked back to my desk. A bunch of girls jumped on Misaka, trying to coax a confession out of her. I shook my head and sighed. That was when the door was shoved open with enough force to cause it to bang. I glanced up and saw the source of mine and Accelerator's problems: Ray. She began walking towards her desk as the bell rang, signaling the start of class.


	15. Falling Apart

I walked over to Ray's desk, setting her paper lightly on the desk. She glanced at it and then glared at me.

"Stay out of my damn business, Luke!" She exclaimed.

"It's my business to know what my students are up to. You shouldn't be flirting with-" I stopped speaking as she stabbed her finger into my chest. I could feel the slight burn, and realized I had lost the draw.

"_Sensei_...Go back to teaching." Ray whispered, anger giving her voice an icy edge.

I turned away, ignoring the slight burn on my chest. I could feel my anger burning as well. What was wrong with me? I shook my head as the girls continued chatting amongst themselves. I finally picked a ruler off my desk and slammed it into the wooden surface. The loud crack rang through the room, instantly dispelling the noise. I glanced around the room and then sighed.

"Let's continue with our lessons."

By lunch-time, my mood had worsened. My classes flew by in silence, with girls quietly taking notes as I lectured. I gathered my papers together, stuffing them into my brief-case. I set the brief on my desk and left out the door. I locked the door behind me and headed outside.

The grounds outside the Teaching Halls were filled with girls headed either home or the cafeterias for Lunch. I began walking towards the booth of the lady selling pork-buns. I felt a hand tap me on the shoulder and I stopped.

"I'm not in the mood to talk right now." I muttered angrily as I turned.

I found myself facing Shokuhou's grinning face. I glared at her as she said. "Hi, Sensei! Wanna see something interesting?"

"Absolutely not. I'm headed to lunch." I turned away and began walking towards my meal. She grabbed my shoulder again. This time I grabbed her wrist, twisting it. She gasped and collapsed onto her knees.

"Ow! Let go!" She screamed, slightly louder than I anticipated. I released her wrist, and she fell to the ground. "That hurt...and to think I was going to help you."

Her last comment made me pause. "What did you say?"

"I arranged for Misaka to come to a meeting place. You can go there and talk to her as well. That would be handy, right? Ray and Accelerator will be there as well." Shokuhou added the last sentence, sealing my sentence. I glanced away from her eyes and cursed. Then I waited for her to stand up and began following her towards the 'meeting place'.

I walked into a small cafe on the edge of Tokiwadai. Inside was fairly quiet. Shokuhou waved at the manager on her way in and headed directly towards a table by the corner. Seated at it were three people: Misaka, Accelerator, and Ray. The three didn't seem happy. That wasn't good. I pulled a chair up and sat down as Shokuhou began speaking.

"I'm glad the three of you stayed till I brought Luke! It was difficult getting all of you at the same time!"

"Cut the crap, bitch. Tell me why you interrupted my lunch with Ray." Accelerator hissed.

"Yes, Shokuhou, before I decide to burn a hole through that pretty smile that's so annoying." Ray said in an equally irritating sweet tone.

Misaka remained silent, but you could feel her discomfort about being so close to four fellow Level 5's, three of which were angry at being stuck here.

I glared at Shokuhou, as she raised her hands in peace. "I'm not trying to create a problem...but I may before our meeting is done." Her voice changed, becoming more official. She remained standing as she continued speaking.

"I'm here to tell the four of you what I know about the Underground. It's followed the same pattern for the last decade. A ton of strong individuals looking for money and fame gather in Academy City to participate in the highly illegal tournament given the name 'Underground'. The Preliminaries eliminate all but 64 contestants. Those 64 will continue on to battle in arranged duels, until only two remain. Those two will fight on a nationally shown video channel; the winner takes the title of most powerful and a hundred thousand dollars."

"So? What's so problematic about that?" Accelerator asked as he picked his glass off the table.

"People have been known to die or get injured _before_ the Underground. People that didn't want certain individuals to participate in the Underground...found ways to stop those individuals from joining. You four will be prime targets as Level 5s. Accelerator is probably the safest among the four of you, with Luke as the close second. You two," Shokuhou nodded towards Misaka and Ray," are probably the most vulnerable. And the weakest here is Misaka."

"I don't see what the hell this has to do with us!" Misaka slammed her hand onto the table as she stood up. She began walking away from the table, as Shokuhou finished.

"But the biggest threat to each of those here...Are the other three. How many of you want to face one of the others in the battles to come?" She paused, and silence crept across the table.

"Heh...you called my card, Shokuhou." Ray said with a small smile. She smiled at Accelerator and whispered in his ear. "Sorry, Accelerator, but you're not my type. I was waiting for a chance to fry you." She stood up and walked out, passing a stopped Misaka.

"Heh...bitch, you stole the words out of my mouth." Accelerator muttered before standing up.

"I don't want you near..." I began, and then paused. If Accelerator eliminated Ray now...No! Dammit, Luke! This was the wrong time to be having these kinds of thoughts. Accelerator wanted to fight Ray...and I didn't want to have that guilt in my heart as well. I turned and then whispered. "...Misaka. Ray can take care of herself."

Misaka looked at me in shock, as Ray stopped at the door. Her fist tightened on the metal handle, before she wrenched open the door and stormed out. The handle fell to the ground, melted through. I ground my teeth together as Accelerator walked past me. "Damn straight; you've got your priorities right. Maybe you'll actually get her to fall in love with you this time."

Accelerator walked out, kicking the door open. Misaka finally shook free from her shock and glared at me. "I don't need your help, Luke!"

"We both know how well that worked, right?" I smiled slightly, remembering our recent run-ins.

She blushed and looked away from me. "I'll admit it now...I'm not as strong as the three of you guys. Compared to me, you guys are monsters. Thank you...for all you've done."

I glanced at the manager. She had headed into the back of her store. Good. I stepped forward, grabbing Misaka's hand. "Misaka...I'll protect you from all harm. I'll do my best to shield you from all danger. Please resign from the Underground for me."

Misaka kept from looking at me, as she whispered. "I can't back out now, Luke. It's a matter of pride."

"What if I said this was a matter of love?" I set my other hand lightly on her cheek, turning her face towards mine. She was blushed a light pink as I continued. "Misaka, from the time I set eyes on you, I-"

"Onee-chan, I found you!" Kuruko-chan's happy-go-lucky tone cut in from behind me. Dammit. I hadn't convinced her yet to drop out. She glanced at Misaka and then me. Then shock ran across her face. "What are you doing Sensei!?"

"I was talking to Misaka. Please think about my words, Misaka." I slipped my hand from her face and released her hand, turning to walk away.

Misaka was left in a daze as Kuruko began interrogating her. Accelerator would be trying his best to get Ray out of this...in his own, twisted way. Somehow I knew he would. We must be growing closer somehow. I heard the bell begin ringing. Time for classes yet again. Damn. I headed towards the Teaching Halls, ignoring the rumbling in my stomach.

I finished teaching and headed towards the Dormitories. I needed to practice my flirting with someone. There were a few viable options. Sakura was one...but I was afraid of how she would want paid back. I shook my head and paused as my phone rang. I pulled it out and opened it. There was a text from an unknown number. I opened the text and began reading:

_Onii-chan! I love you!_

I slammed my phone shut as fear filled my entire body. It couldn't be her. She was still in America. She was still with the bastards who gave birth to me, living the life. She couldn't be here! I took a deep, shuddering breath and began walking towards my room. I needed to rest, let my nerves settle down a bit. I walked towards the dorms, silently removing my glasses.

(On the Edge of Academy City)

The man paused at the edge of the huge wall. He let out a weary sigh, before cursing in English. He began walking forward as he reached into his satchel by his side. He tossed a some dust on the ground before walking up to the wall. The ground suddenly shook as vines shot out of the ground, lifting him into the air. He looked up towards the top of the wall, as security alarms began to wail. Apparently something had noticed his presence. The vines reached the top of the wall, and he stepped off onto the terrace. A door further down the wall burst open and three guards ran out. They raised their guns and began shouting at him in Japanese. He stared at them as he deciphered bits of their shouting.

"Raise...hands...stand down...foreigner." One of the guards shouted.

He turned towards them as he dipped a hand in his satchel. He pulled his hand out as the guards began lifting their guns to face him.

"Nature has seen fit to judge you, fools. Gilgamesh's Seed" He shouted as he threw the dust from his hands.

The guards opened fire, as vines shot out of the air, growing at an insane rate and swarming towards the shooters. The roots shattered the barrels of the guns and latched onto the guards, sending shoots and roots deep inside their bodies. In just a few seconds, all that remained of the guards was a tangle of plant growth. The man glanced at it once, and then whispered a small message. The vines rustled and then began wilting. In as much time as it took to destroy the guards, the plants had died and turned to dust. The guards' mangled bodies remained as a testimony to his presence. He turned and began walking towards the stairs. Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out a small piece of paper. On it was written a small word;

_Dante_

He smashed the piece of paper in his hand as he stepped over the corpses. Soon, it would be over. He needed to kill this man. For the revenge of his family and comrades, he would bear this burden to the very end. The girl had told him that Dante was the man he was searching for. He began walking down the stairs as more guards appeared; more fools rushing to their death…

The kid leaned back against the door, cradling the small coin in his hand. He had his orders; participate in the Underground. His master had left him in the Academy City with only a small bag of coins. He sighed and sat up. He needed to go look for something to eat. Something crashed behind him and he jumped. He flattened his hand, allowing the coin to roll out.

" Gungnir " He exclaimed, and the coin cut through the cat behind him. He stared at it for a second then let out his tensed breath. "Dammit…why did you do this, master…"

His only wish had been to integrate martial arts with his esper abilities. What that had earned him was rejection. His former friends had turned against him and his sensei had thrown him out of the dojo. He closed his eyes in rage and smashed his fist through the wall next to him. Anger coursed through his body as he began looking around for something else to destroy. Someone stepped out of an alley in front of him; a target! He charged forward, roaring in anger. The small figure glanced at him and smirked. Then, the person blurred and something brushed him on the chest. He glanced down and saw a gaping hole in his ribs. The person, a short teenage kid, was holding his heart in his fist.

The kid smiled and muttered. "Feel free to walk my hell." He coughed up blood and fell to the ground dead.

Dante crushed the heart in his hand and spat on the corpse. The bastard was foolish if he thought he could even touch the God. Dante had long since ascended past the pathetic mortals walking this city. He began walking towards the building where the Underground was being organized. He would unveil his presence to the world with this pathetic event.


	16. Becoming Lethal

I sat down at my desk as the girls walked out. I slipped the small envelope Shokuhou had given me and broke the seal. I pulled the thin slip of paper out and unfolded it. On it, penned in perfect kanji, was written 'Eclipse Bar'. I crumpled the piece of paper in my fist and stood up. The Eclipse Bar stood on one of the less...'decent' parts of Academy City. Sliding my coat off my chair, I began walking towards the door. Misaka and Ray had avoided my gaze earlier in class; I knew in my heart both girls' choice. They were going to participate. I walked out the door and locked it behind me. The Principal had already arranged for my substitute for the days I would miss. My hand lingered on the doorknob, as mixed feelings ran through me. There was nothing except the past taking me there; how hard would it be to just leave my past behind and continue this happy, care-free life? I shook my head as Mika's smile flashed through my mind. My hand slipped off the knob as I began walking away. Nothing was going to stop me now.

Noble intentions are never rewarded. I sat at my desk, glaring at the paper-work lying there. The Principal had caught me on my way out and handed me a stack of papers. Most of the damn papers were permission slips that needed signed by a faculty member! I sighed and began sifting through the papers, pulling out those that would be fast to do. I signed the first slip of paper and glanced at the name: Miskuni Ray. What? I read over it. It was a permission slip granting the previously mentioned student permission to go on a study-related trip. It was for this weekend. Study-related my ass. I slammed the paper on the done stack, causing a startled yelp from behind me. The high-pitched tone was instantly recognizable: Sakura-san. She began laughing nervously as I leaned back in my chair.

"What do you need, Sakura?" I asked while turning in my chair.

"I'm not sure what I should say." She began as she glanced around the room. I sighed and began turning around when her hand caught my shoulder. Before I could react, her lips were pressed to mine. I looked at her eyes; they were closed. That was probably proper etiquette during a kiss; but there was nothing proper about this. She finally pulled away softly and smiled at me. "Come back and I'll tell you a secret!" She winked seductively as I began to blush. She turned away and began walking quickly towards her desk. I started to lick my lips and caught myself. Somehow...that had awakened feelings inside I hadn't felt in a long time. I shook my head and returned to the paper-work. It needed to get done.

I threw the stack of papers in the Principal's face and stormed out of her office. The strange feelings from Sakura's visit had quickly worn off and been replaced with rage. It was dark outside and I had an odd feeling I was going to miss the Preliminaries if I didn't run. I passed Sakura's desk and glanced at the petite young girl. I paused; had I just thought that? She noticed me and smiled happily. I could feel the heat enter my face and I glanced away. I rushed out the door, drawing my coat together. The sky overhead rumbled unhappily. I glared at the sky and mumbled curses about the foul weather. I slid my glasses off my face and into my breast pocket. Then, with a weary sigh, I began sprinting towards the Eclipse Bar.

I'd love to say something grand happened, but in reality, nothing did. Everyone remained frozen as I passed and all was good. I arrived at the Eclipse Bar, panting heavily. I hadn't gone running in a long time; I used my bike for transportation most places. I walked through the doors into the crowded bar. The lights were dim and the crowd was bustling. But, somehow, it felt 'safe'. I slid my glasses on and the noise returned. There was rave music going somewhere and everyone was dancing. Whatever. I walked over to the bar and summoned the bartender. He turned to me and raised an eyebrow.

"What the hell is a high-school student doing here? Trying to ruin my business, punk?" he muttered angrily.

"Where do contestants for the Underground go?" I asked, not bothering to reply to his inquiries.

He stared at me and then reached under the counter. Pulling out a piece of paper, he handed it to me.

"Go to this address; take the back door. Don't abuse your abilities there or you will be disqualified. Try to avoid attack...and enjoy the game." He smiled at me creepily as I snatched the paper from his hands. Damn. More walking. I pushed my way through the crowd, heading towards the back door. Once there, I snatched an old umbrella from the stand. It had begun raining outside; I would need one.

I walked through the alleys, ignoring the rain pouring down. My umbrella was keeping me fairly dry, despite it's tattered, beaten appearance. I paused at a fork and glanced back at my map. I was supposed to head left here, apparently. I began folding the paper back up when a sudden loud noise caused me to glance up. It had sounded suspiciously like...

"Fall back, dammit! Where the hell did this kid come from?" shouted the man in armor who ran from the left alley towards me. From the patches on his armor, I could tell he was from Anti-Skill. But what were they doing here? I heard an excruciating scream, followed by crunching and shredding. Whatever had just happened...it sounded terrible. The man grabbed my shoulder, pulling me back into the previous alley. "Kid, I need you to call for back-up. A squad of Anti-Skill was just annihilated by a suspect we were trying to arrest. My comrades are all dead."

"But...how?" I muttered, as he glanced back down the alley he had come from.

"He has some kind of ability that allows him to control plants. He tore apart my teammates with it." He muttered, turning back to face me.

Then I noticed it. On his shoulder, sprouting happily, was a little green leaf. I pointed at it in shock as I stumbled back. He cursed and tried to pull it out. But it was already too late. I tore off my glasses, which turned out to be a huge mistake.

I got to watch, in horror, as the man was destroyed by the plant. I would like to say that it was a swift, painless death, but it was anything but. The sprout suddenly bulged, growing to twice the size it had just been. Then it began branching out, base growing bigger as the man's muscles were torn apart. The vines curled back, strangling the man and breaking his bones. Within seconds, all that remained of the Anti-Skill man was just a strange looking knot of vines against the wall. I backed up in shock, having watched a murder more brutal than my comrades' death. I fumbled with my glasses inside my pocket. When I finally got them on, I pulled out my phone and began dialing the emergency number. I noticed something tiny drop onto the number pad and paused. Was it...? There was a burst of static, as a plant began growing from inside my phone. Roots tried piercing my skin, but I managed to throw my phone at the wall before they could burrow in. I stared as my phone was consumed by vines. It was unreal, as if watching a horror movie. I took a deep breath and swallowed.

"Confused?" A cold voice spoke from behind me. I could feel death looming over my shoulder; this was ten-times, no, _a hundred-times worse than Accelerator_. I started to turn around when an arrow buried itself next to my head. I dived away from it, slamming into the wall next to the now-dead man. The vines reached for me and I scrambled back frantically. A shadow cast over me, and I glanced up. There was a young man, dressed in a long, tattered black trench-coat. The first thing I noticed was the coat, and next was the cross-bow pointed at my forehead. From this range...I couldn't dodge. He was wearing sunglasses, so I couldn't tell what emotions were in his eyes. "You've seen too much, boy. It's unfortunate, but this is where you have to leave the stage." He said in a cool tone. His aim suddenly shifted and the arrow buried itself in the wall next to the ground. I sat there in shock and then began running. But something caught a hold on my ankle, tripping me into the asphalt. I glanced back and saw the arrow, which had grown into something else. He had _living_ arrows! Vines were branching out of it and pulling me in. The vine around my ankle began tightening it's grip and pulling me towards the man. He loaded another arrow and pointed the bow at me this time. I started to go for my glasses as he stared at me. He fired the arrow at the ground, directly by my head. I glanced over as vines began branching out from the arrow. Two vines wrapped around my throat and began applying pressure as more snaked around my body and legs. I struggled to breathe as the man holstered his bow at his side and turned to walk away. Images began flashing through my head; things of my past, my very life passing through my mind. Why was I here, anyway?

"D...Dante." I whispered hoarsely as the pressure increased and my airwaves became even tighter.

The vines stopped crushing me, as the man paused. He turned and walked towards me. He knelt next to me and spoke. "What was that name you just said?"

I glared at him and whispered. "Blow it out your ass."

He smiled and motioned with his hand. A small vine snaked around my hand, latching onto my little finger. I could guess what was going to happen...POP! A sudden searing pain shot through my body, as the vine dislocated my finger. "I'll ask again: What was the name you just said?"

Pain causing my mind to go fuzzy, I whispered. "Dante...it was Dante." There was another pop, this time less loud but still causing a searing pain.

"Congratulations; you just moved up on my list of value! From shit to insect, but that means I won't kill you worthlessly." He stood up as his vines retracted. I stared at him then sat up, clutching my throbbing hand. He paused then threw something in the air around me. Like dust. I breathed and choked, as my lungs seized up. It was a cheater's move.

I finally caught my breath as he began turning into the alley. "What is your name?"

"Kodama, insect. Remember it well; when you hear it next, it'll be your last." He muttered as he began walking down the alley. I felt a sudden, burning pain in my chest. That couldn't be good.

I stood up shakily, pain in my hand just a dull throb now. I had lived. I glanced at the fallen Anti-Skill. I couldn't call it in now. I should just get over to the Underground.

"You know you lost, don't you?" A male voice said from behind me. I put my hand on my glasses as I turned. A young man, with brown hair and a hard gaze, walked up from behind.

"And what if I did? So what?" I muttered as he walked past.

"I just wonder how it'll change your fights from now on. The knowledge that death is always a moments away, _Breaker_." He uttered my Esper ability with all the hatred of a maniac. I took a step back, as the boy turned to face me. "It was my right to defeat Accelerator and take his place as the strongest Level 5! But you went and stole my throne! In order for me to take it, I'll need to kill you."

"You're insane." I muttered as he began to grin.  
"Maybe I am. But I will take my throne back. Remember the name Teitoku Kakine, _the One Who Has Touched the Territory of God_. I will pry my throne from your dead fingers." He said coldly before walking away. Whatever the hell kind of ability name that was, it sounded a little more intimidating than Breaker.

I stared at his back in shock and then leaned against the wall.

I glanced up at the sky and shouted.

"Hey! Do you have anything more to throw at me?! If not, I'm gonna go to the Underground Prelims!"

I looked around. Nothing. Good. I pushed off the wall and began walking towards the place where the Preliminaries would be held. Ray, Accelerator, and Misaka would be there. I turned once and found myself at a dead end. I cursed angrily and kicked the wall. There was a hollow, resounding sound. A thin plate opened by my head and a voice spoke.

"State your name and business."

Thank you, gods. That was the first bit of luck I had fallen into. "Luke Walker; I want to participate in the Preliminaries."

"Acknowledged; you're on the list. Proceed forward."

I began walking towards the dead-end, which changed into a metal door. I grabbed the latch and twisted it. It clicked open and I pushed the door in. It swung open faster than I expected, slamming loudly against the wall. I was now facing a room full of killing intent. All eyes were on me, as I stepped inside. There were hundreds of people gathered in this room; the lure of fame and fortune had drawn out plenty of takers. I closed the door behind me and began walking into the masses. A sudden shout drew my attention.

"Luke! Luke! Come over here!" A happy, slightly slurred voice exclaimed.

I searched for the voice and found it. At their own table, close to a wall, sat the trio of my fellow Level 5's. Misaka, who had shouted, was clutching a glass of what appeared to be alcohol. Ray, holding a small sake cup, was fidgeting next to the drunk Misaka. Accelerator, ever the eccentric, had a glass of wine. I walked over and sat down next to Accelerator, ignoring his glares.

"So, what have I missed, my dear, drunk companions?" I said happily.

"I'm neither drunk nor your companion, Luke." Accelerator snapped before taking another sip of his wine. "But, if you must know, nothing's actually happened. We have been waiting here since earlier this afternoon and nothing happened. These girls arrived after I did and immediately jumped on the drinks."

"They serve amazing beer here, Luke!" Misaka exclaimed.

"How would you know the difference, Misaka?" I glared at the grinning girl before grabbing Ray's sake bottle. I sipped a bit; it was a sharp, bitter alcohol. No wonder she was sitting there sullen.

"Don't...drink from the bottle...here." Ray muttered quietly as she handed me her sake cup. I took the cup and poured a small serving from the bottle. I sipped it slowly as the girls started to argue about which drink was better. A sudden burst of static caused everyone to wince, as huge speakers came to life in the huge room. An overhead display came on, revealing a girl with her face fuzzed out.

The speakers began playing. "Hello, participants, to the 34th Annual Underground Tournament!This year will proceed like many others; with a battle of powers, to test and find the most powerful power user among you few, blessed individuals. Unfortunately, this year will be different."

There were murmurs of dismay among the crowd; none had anticipated a change in the normal working of this tournament. The speaker started playing again.

"This year's tournament was purchased by me, an interested benefactor. I took the liberty of changing the rules and increasing the prize. Now it will be worth ten million dollars."

The crowd immediately turned into an uproar. That was a hundred times the initial amount; many of the contestants could see themselves with the money. Even I had to admit the new money was nothing to be meddled with.

"Now, let me explain the new rules: this tournament will become a death-match starting here. Only 96 contestants out of the 600 or more gathered here will be allowed to continue to the next round. Until only 96 are left alive can we continue with this explanation. Have fun~!"

As the message ended, I could feel the room instantly change. Silence reigned, as everyone stood there in shock. Many had come prepared to beat the shit out of everyone else; none had come prepared to kill.

"So...choose 92 people who look promising, Luke." Accelerator said happily.

"Why 92?" I whispered while glancing around.

"I'm counting us 4 in the ending total, so choose 92 people who look like they'd be a pain in the ass to kill and tell me."

I started to speak, when something in my chest began to change. Something was moving. I glanced at my chest in shock, as my lungs began to burn. This...was bad. I turned to Misaka and shouted. "Shoot me with lighting!" All I got was a happy smile and a shake of her head. She was still out of it. I reached across the table and grabbed Ray's ample cleavage. Giving it a good squeeze, I waited. Then, a mighty heat struck me, knocking the air out of my lungs and burning me. The seeds inside my lungs died as I took a deep breath of the hot air. I fell out of my chair, rolling backwards onto my feet. Ray was out of her chair, glaring daggers at me. I glanced at Accelerator, who gave me a weary shake of his head. He was out of this. The room stared at us, then a sudden scream broke everyone's attention. A man was stabbed to the ceiling by a wooden stake around 8 feet in length. The room was silent...and then all hell broke loose.


	17. The Bloody Curtain Rises

I backed up to the table as the chaos began. Somebody had a gun...no, multiple people had guns. Around twenty guys had turned towards our table by the wall and were preparing to strike. Accelerator looked nonchalant as I gauged my options. On the table were two bottles of sake, a can of beer, and a bottle of wine. Not much in the weapons department. I glanced at Ray, who was struggling to gain her feet, and an idea sprung into my mind. Snatching the bottle of the table, I tossed it directly at the group of men in front of me. I slid my glasses off and time froze. I punched through the bottle, causing it to shatter. Then I stepped in front of Ray and kissed her lightly on the nose. Drunk and confused, Ray did the only thing she could think of: fired a light beam directly at me. But, where I had been before, was a sealed bottle of wine. Her attack struck the bottle and it exploded into flames. The flames struck the soaked individuals, lighting them ablaze. They ran screaming into the darkness, beacons of flame causing havoc in their blazing steps. I stepped back towards Accelerator, shutting off my power completely.

"I'll take the right; you take the left. We need to protect the two girls." I muttered, glancing around at the men wearily circling our tiny group.

"I've already said I was going to count them in my roster, didn't I? Now…let's see how these bastards do when they have their blood reversed." Accelerator grinned evilly as he began walking forward. The monster from the Sister Project had reemerged and was seeking fresh blood. I cursed wearily and stepped between the men and the two girls. I could no longer trust Accelerator to back me up. I slowly took an open stance with both arms raised.

With a long and weary sigh, I muttered, "Let's get this over with."

Three men ran forward, roaring in anticipation. I relinquished control to my powers and reflexes and watched miracles unfold.

Dante walked through the chaos, picking out hearts and internal organs wherever he saw fit. This was no more than a game for him; nothing could track his speed. He was a god. Then he noticed a small corner where a group of men were running. A white-haired boy was grinning like a maniac as he exploded one man from the inside. He was the one the men were running from? Interesting. He walked forward and prepared to strike down the white-haired boy frozen in time, when something else caught his eye; someone moving _fast_. He looked at the young blonde, dueling three men in martial arts and dominating. He was moving extremely fast for being frozen in time…unless he wasn't?! Dante began grinning. This tournament had just gotten extremely interesting. He turned and walked away. He wasn't going to face the exception yet. He would savor that later.

Marcus tried to avoid the fighting, hiding beneath a table and making himself scarce. When a burly man smashed through the table, he was forced to join the fight. Around a dozen men all drew guns at the same time he grabbed his coin purse. He flipped the latch and dumped the purse out. Hundreds of coin, of varying sizes and assortment, spelled on the ground. He kicked the pile, throwing coins into the air, as he screamed. "Gungnir" The coins drew hundreds of coins traced silvery arcs through the air, burying themselves into his opponents. They exploded as the coins tore through. He fell to his knees and began vomiting as the pressure got to him. The coins clattered all around him as he continued heaving. This wasn't a tournament; this was slaughter.

As Dante snapped his fingers, hundreds of the contestants fell, choking on their blood as their lungs were torn apart from the vines springing from their stomachs. All it had taken was simply spiking the beer kegs and patience. At least two hundred contestants had drunk from the kegs. Now it was time to spice up the dance floor a little. With a snap of his fingers, the seeds he had planted before exploded to life, throwing twenty foot vines into the air, seizing anything nearby and crushing the life from it. Already his kill-count was at three hundred and rising. Decent work, to say the least. He leaned over to the DJ and pointed his crossbow at the man.

"Change the song to Beethoven's Fifth and leave it." He demanded. As the first note began sailing across the air, Dante shot the man in the face. Classics were the best music to set a mood. He scooped more dust from his bag and threw it into the air. Vines exploded from the seeds, tearing apart the men behind him.

Ray sat there, trying to clear her head of the pounding ache. It remained, infuriating her further. People were screaming and running around. It was really pissing her off. She glanced over at Misaka, who was happily humming and twiddling her thumbs. Stupid girl... Ray glanced over as a man fired a gun at her head. She crushed it with heat without flinching. Then she smiled and began weaving light. In order to get the desired strength, she began drawing the light from every source in the room. She paused, glancing at the pulsing light she was collecting. A sudden fancy passed her mind and she immediately began weaving the light. In a few, grueling seconds she had what appeared to be a dragon. Now, to add the final flare. By now, a group of around fifty men had surrounded their small table and were staring in fear at the blinding dragon. Ray glanced at them and grinned.

"Think fast, bastards." With that, she snapped her fingers and the dragon roared to life, crashing towards the men. It passed through them, turning them to ash and continuing it's path of death as it sailed onwards. A wall of vines appeared, turning to ash and regenerating rapidly, to stop her dragon's path. She narrowed her eyes in fury and pushed it onwards. The vines suddenly began shooting forward, dissolving her dragon and flying towards Ray. She began throwing light rays at them, trying to stop their attack. But they continued moving forward, destroying the light and fire. Ray threw up a shield of heat and stared in shock as the vines looped around. They went straight for her heart and then...

I watched in horror as the vines sailed towards Ray. I stopped time and sprinted towards Dante. I vaulted over the vines that began springing up to protect their master and continued moving forward. Forming a fist with one hand, I swung at Dante's face. Plants exploded between my fist and the his skin, forming a shield. I stopped my attack and went for a knee strike. The same phenomena occurred, blocking my attack. Before the plants could strike, I pulled away and went for another punch. Every attack, one by one, failed. I finally, in a last ditch effort, turned away and glanced at Ray. The vines were sailing directly towards her chest. I cursed and jumped onto the vines. I pushed off, leaping into the air and spinning around. I swung my heel up and smashed it down, aiming for Dante's head. My heel was met by the plant guard but I continued pushing, using my weight to increase the force. It broke through, smashing Dante's head down. I landed as Dante began a step back. I glanced back at the vines. They had stopped moving; I had saved Ray. I felt something strike my stomach and I felt my feet leave the ground. Shit! I blocked the small object with my hands barely. I crashed through the air, slamming into the ground. I stared at the object in my hands. A coin? I glanced around then noticed the screen turn back on. Good!

"That's enough! You can stop killing one another now!" The speaker crackled, causing all the fighters to stop. Carnage surrounded everything while blood slowly pooled across the floor. "Marvelous! Now I will explain the next phase of the tournament. It will be simple! The tier will be composed of three groups of 32. The places will be decided and the letters will be sent. The battles will be conducted in a civilized manner; you are only to attack those you are assigned to. The means by which you go about 'defeating' your opponent is of your own choosing. Keep damage to a minimum...but don't let that harm your ability to fight! The condition, any one of three, for beating your foe are as follows: First, make them say 'I give up!' Next, render them unable to fight. Last, kill them. The condition met is your own choice. Have a great day and wait for the mail!" With that, the speaker clicked off and everyone began climbing out of the mess. Misaka began waking up, but I knocked her out with a quick blow to the spine.

"Brutal much?" Accelerator asked while glancing at the limp girl.

I picked her up and began walking towards the door. "I don't want her to see this. It's better that she lives without seeing it."

"Selfish bastard. I'm not going to thank you for saving me." Ray muttered, stepping up behind me.

The four of us exited the ruined bar and began heading home. The weight of the deaths weighed down on each of us mentally and physically.


End file.
